War of the Plates 2: The Uprising
by mr.myxsiple
Summary: From the ashes of the War of the Plates, a new love is born but, like Shade and Shine's, it's considered forbidden. Can this love survive and remain strong and true even with an uprising on the horizon? Pls review. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone. If you've been wanting this sequel then here it is.

Like its predecessor, this will be told in mostly first person. But here, it will shift from time to time. It might cause some problems but I had to do it this way so just please bear with me. Don't worry, I'll make sure to indicate clearly the shift of POV

Enjoy! ;)

**I DON'T OWN POKEMON**

* * *

CHAPTER 1  
**NO ONE'S POV**

A year and a half had passed since the wedding of Shade and Shine. During this time, the great Nation of the Twin Fangs lived was almost in peace. I said almost because there were still rebels seeking to overthrow Shade as the leader which gave him, his wife Shine and their friends quite a hard time.

Yet despite this problem, Shade and Shine lived a happy life together ruling the nation. That year and a half was not only filled with troubles with rebels but also with happy times and moments.

Like Slice and Chi's wedding for example.

Slice had finally asked her after about a month after Shade and Shine's wedding. I could tell you how it happened but that's another story for another time. All you need to know is that now they're a happy couple and that many more happy things occurred during that time.

Almost all of them seemed to have forgotten that the War of the Plates happened.

Shade's duties as leader did cause some problems but he never would've survived them without the support of his wife and friends and slowly, he was becoming a leader anyone would be proud of.

Shade was in his office alone one morning signing some papers when he heard a knock on the door. It opened and a familiar Ambipom entered carrying a few sheets of paper.

"Dex." Shade said with a smile. He walked over to the Ambipom. "I haven't seen you for a long time. How's everything?"

"Oh everything's fine Shade." Dex said. "I'm just here to deliver some reports." He gave the papers to Shade.

Dex, along with the other two Ambipom Shade met Amy and Palmer, was in change of a berry plantation somewhere in the nation and this was a report on the produce for that month.

Shade red the report and saw that the produce was steady and there were no problems. "Berry growth's doing alright. How do you guys do it?" Shade asked.

"It was Amy's idea actually." Dex answered. "She made this really unique way to water every berry in the plantation without much effort."

"She must be really smart."

"She is but she's so clumsy sometimes. One time while carrying a bucket of water, she tripped and spilled its entire contents on me, Palmer and three others."

Shade laughed and so did Dex. While they were laughing, they heard the door suddenly slam open. Looking towards it, they saw Shine there but she was panting as if she ran as fast as she could to Shade's office.

Shade's laugh then turned into a look of concern. "Shine, what's wrong?"

Shine was stilled tired from running and panted for a while. Finally, she said only two words:

"It's hatching."

In one second, Shade was out of his office and running towards the stairs, his wife following him. Shade nearly stumbled and fell down two flights of stairs in his haste. Finally, they reached the room they were running to.

"Has it happened already?" Shade asked as he burst into the room with Shine.

"No not yet but it's only a matter of time." answered Rosy who was the only one in the room. "I sent Berg out to call everyone who's available."

Shade and Shine went to the center of the room where there was basket with a few layers of cloth on it. On top of the cloth was an egg, which minutes ago had just been a plain brown egg with a thick lighter brown zigzag in the middle, glowing and giving an occasional shake.

"Rosy, how long has it been since it started glowing?" Shade asked.

"Just a few minutes." Rosy replied. Just then, the door burst open and all of Shade and Shine's friends appeared with Berg at the head.

"Turns out everyone's available." Berg said and he and everyone gathered excitedly around the basket.

"Hey Shade, I hope you don't mind but we've been making bets about this." Slice said.

"Bets?" Shade asked.

"Yeah, the gender, the date the egg will hatch and stuff like that." Scuttle added.

"Right now, it's down me and Levi." Blaze explained. "If it's a boy, I win, if it's a girl-"

"It is hatching now!" Chi yelled interrupting Blaze. The egg was now shaking more violently and the glowing intensified.

"Any second now…" Shade muttered.

The flashed a brilliant white light and began to transform. A body appeared followed by four legs, a tail and finally a head. The glowing stopped and a small newborn Eevee was lying in the basket.

"It's a girl." Shine whispered.

"She's beautiful." Shade whispered.

"Alright, pay up guys!" Levi cried out. Rosy nudged him in the ribs.

Shine went over and scooped her daughter in her arms. The latter smiled as her mother put her paw on her cheek.

"I'm a mother..." Shine said happily.

"And I'm a father..." Shade said equally as happy.

"What should we name her? Shine asked.

"Well…" Shade thought about it for a while. "How does Shana sound?"

"I like that name, Shana." Shine said softly as her daughter smiled as if she liked that name.

Rosy looked at the family and slowly gestured everyone else to leave. They did so and slowly left the three of them alone, hoping only the best for the three of them. Shade slowly approached his daughter and patted her head.

"I kinda envy her a bit." Shade admitted. "Being born without a war going on…she'll have a much happier childhood than the one I had."

"Yeah, me too." Shine agreed. She looked like any ordinary Eevee, chocolate brown eyes, soft brown fur, a cute little nose but to Shade and Shine, she was the most perfect Pokemon in the world.

"Welcome to the family Shana." he said before planting a kiss on his daughter's forehead.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2**  
FLARE'S POV**

Deep underground the Nation of the Twin Fangs, completely unknown to Shade, his family and his guard, was a large system of tunnels spanning across the entire nation. There were numerous single tunnels, which eventually led to a large open area, a dead end or a pathway to the surface.

This was the headquarters of the rebels from which I am a part of.

The rebels mainly consisted of Pokemon who loved the war and missed the bloodshed when it was over. To us, it didn't matter anymore who was with the old Crimson or Amber Fang. What kept us together was our deep hatred for at least the rest of us did; I really had nothing against him. We plan to get rid of him so that we can put into command our leader: the most ruthless and bloodthirsty one among us: Dart who, once Shade is eliminated, will turn the nation into a battle field that would satiate our blood lust.

I never wanted to be part of this but I had no choice. I knew too much and if I wanted to quit, I would swiftly be killed.

I, a young Vulpix, was in a particular tunnel and was making my way to meet someone. I was carrying a small piece of paper with some very important information and had to deliver it to someone in the tunnels.

After passing by several tough looking rebels who were either talking, eating, sleeping, exercising and sparring, I found whom I was looking for: a Probopass.

"Sir Peter, Flare here with the information I was sent to obtain." I said.

Peter, the Probopass, looked at me and said: "Now what do you, by far one of our best intelligence gatherers, have now?"

"Sir, I've got the address you were looking for." Peter took the paper and read what was on it.

"This's the address we've been looking for. You sure he's here?" asked Peter.

"Definitely." I replied with a nod. My mission was to look for a popular supporter of Shade named Slash; we (I hate saying 'we' because it make me feel like I supported their goals) took pleasure in hunting down supporters of Shade and killing them. Slash had already evaded us several time each followed by a change in his address but I found out where he was hiding now.

Just as Peter said, I was known as the best among the other spies and intelligence gatherers. I had never been sent into actual combat which was thankful because unlike the rest of the rebels, I didn't want to hurt someone if they didn't do anything wrong.

"Good. I'll be taking this to Dart now. You're dismissed. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, you'll be getting a big job soon so shape up." Peter said before walking away. Nobody but him and his other former teammates were allowed to talk to Dart directly.

I sighed sadly, hung my head and walked away slowly wondering what other sorry job they were going to give me. I passed by a familiar figure, another intelligence gatherer, a Murkrow named Salem. He saw me and walked over.

"Flare, how was your mission today?" he asked. He declared himself as my "rival" in intelligence gathering. Though I never thought the same about him, he was still determined to be better than me.

"OK I guess." I answered.

"I couldn't help but overhear that conversation a while ago. I wonder what job you're gonna get."

"I don't know but it sounds big."

"Damn. I'd kill for a job like that."

He meant that literally. He walked away from me and I continued onwards. I had no one, no fiends, no family, no one I could trust.

Oh how I hate this life...

* * *

**ZARA'S POV**

"Why does every morning have to be like this?" I muttered frustratingly to myself. I was in a room where a large lump covered with a blanket was on a bed. That lump was my best friend.

"C'mon, get up already! Gah! What I'd give to know Wake Up Slap." I yelled at the lump, which didn't stir. Finally I had enough; I opened my mouth and unleashed Icy Wind on the lump.

"Alright! Alright Zara; I'll get up!" yelled an Eevee as she threw the blanket off; I stopped my Icy Wind.

I sighed. "Of all the things you could've gotten from your dad Shana."

Shana fixed her bed up and brushed her fur in front of a mirror. "How long again does it usually take to get me up?"

"About half an hour. And it's even worse on school days." That was very annoying sometimes. I can't believe Uncle Shade gave me this job.

Shana eventually finished brushing her fur. She put her brush back and left for breakfast with me.

Anyway, I'm Blizzara but everyone calls me Zara. I'm the adoptive daughter of Slice and Chi. I spent my early childhood living in an orphanage with other Pokemon. Since my mom and dad couldn't have kids (they were in different egg groups), they adopted me when I was four and the three of us became a loving family like any other.

The day they brought me home was the same day I first met Shana; we became friends easily and even go to the same school together. After some time, her dad gave me the job.

**SHANA'S POV**

Zara and I passed through several hallways and climbed down two staircases in the building before finally ending up in the dining room. When we entered, it empty which was normal because it really took long to get me up.

"Finally, I'm starving." Zara said as she grabbed a plate and a handful of berries. I did the same and we began our breakfast.

"I need a snack." The door opened and my dad, tired and yawning, stepped into the room. "Hey Shana, morning."

"Morning dad." I replied. Just then, my mom and a Weavile entered the room too. "Morning mom; you too uncle Slice."

"Well you're pretty active for someone who just woke up." my uncle Slice said crossing his arms.

"C'mon dad. Can't I sleep a little longer? I mean, summer's almost over and school starts in two days." I pleaded.

"Exactly." my dad answered with a mouth full of Oran Berry. "Since school's starting again you should already go back to waking up early."

"Mom, back me up please?"

"Sorry Shana but I agree with your dad." she answered. "If only there was some way to wake you up really fast but we've tried everything, even an Exploud horn, but the only thing that seems to really get you up is Zara's Icy Wind which is only a last resort."

I pouted and resumed eating. "So how's the guard thing going on?" asked Zara.

"Not so good. No one's showed up for about a week already. Maybe they're giving up." her dad answered.

I sighed; they were looking for a personal guard for me. This was very important since protecting me would be harder when I was out even with Zara's company. It was also important because I'm to be next in line in leading the Nation of the Twin Fangs. If anything happened to me or my family, then the whole nation would be taken over by the rebels and be sucked into a vortex of suffering and bloodshed.

So when I was old enough, they announced that they were looking for a personal guard for me. During the first few weeks, there were many applicants no one was able to pass the test. Weeks went by and the number of applicants slowly decreased.

My dad finished his Oran Berry and went back to his office. "Y'know, I understand that you need protection and stiff like that but aren't I a good enough guard for you Shana?" asked Zara.

"You are Zara but I need a, no offense, stronger Pokemon to guard me." I replied. "Think about it, you think you'd be able to pass the test?"

"No I don't think so." Zara shook her head. "Anyway, I gotta go; I've gotta go meditating with my mom."

"But you can't use Meditate."

"Just because I can't use it doesn't mean I can't do it. You should try it some time; it's very relaxing."

With that, Zara left the dinning room. A few seconds later, I finished her breakfast and, after putting my plate away, had nothing to do so I headed off to I room.

* * *

**FLARE'S POV**

On the ground floor, I saw an Infernape whom I know was named Blaze. He was at a desk reading the morning newspaper while still guarding the gate inside. While reading the front page, he heard me approach.

"Excuse me, I'm here to apply for a personal guard for Ms. Shana."

"Been a while." Blaze said without taking his eyes off the paper. "What's your name?"

"It's Flare. My name is Flare." I answered.

Blaze put down the newspaper he was reading and surveyed me with stern eyes. "Are you sure about this? D'you think someone as young as you can be a guard?"

"Yes I'm sure." I answered. "I'm just looking for a job with a good pay and stuff like that."

"Alright, if you say so. Shade's office is on the fourth floor east wing second door to the left. Don't get lost now."

"I won't." I said before entering the building.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3  
**FLARE'S POV**

I was in...The first rebel to ever step foot withing these walls; but I didn't feel proud at all. Sure they'd like to see Shade's face when he finds out that a rebel has successfully entered his house but I didn't. This was one achievement I could do without. I sighed and went further inside this large building.

This place was quite big with long corridors and rooms whose contents I didn't know. As I was walking, I found the dining room where they ate their meals. It was a large room with a high ceiling and with a large round wooden table surrounded by chairs in the middle. There was another door on the other side of the room; I went in it and ended up in another corridor. It shouldn't be to hard to find Shade's office right?

Ten long minutes later, I finally admitted that I was totally lost. I tried recalling what Blaze said about how to get to the office. Did he say third floor west wing or second floor east wing or…Gah I'm lost. My sense of direction's not bad but I still get confused sometimes. One time, I accidentally gave some wrong information to my superiors; they beat me up and didn't give me food for three days. I shuddered at that memory and concentrated at the task at hand.

They should really put a map here or something. I thought about when this place was first built; what were the builders thinking putting so many rooms and corridors here?

I looked around and saw that I was alone. "Maybe I should try looking for someone and asking them." I thought again and I continued searching. Five minutes passed and I hadn't met anyone. I was considering going back down and asking Blaze for more directions. But before I could-

_You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors  
It's the morning of your very first day_

I stopped dead in my tracks. That song…No, that voice must be the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. My heart fluttered at it's tune and harmony and I felt much more relaxed now, more relaxed than I had ever felt in my life. Only one word could describe it: angelic.

_You say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while  
Try to stay out of everybody's way_

"That must be Shine. Maybe she could tell me where the office is." I thought to himself as I followed the song. I didn't want to stop listening to it.

_It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here  
For the next four years in this town  
Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say  
You know I haven't seen you around, before_

Wow, I knew Shine had a beautiful voice but I didn't know that it was this good. I've heard others say how beautiful it was but hearing it yourself was a different matter altogether.

_Cause when you're fifteen and  
Somebody tells you they love you  
You're gonna believe them_

I finally found the room where the singing was coming from and it was just at the end of the corridor. I headed towards it.

_And when you're fifteen feeling like  
There's nothing to figure out  
Well count to ten, take it in, this is life before you know  
Who you're gonna be_

I was finally in front of the door. I knocked three times and a voice from within said: "Come in."

_At fifteen_

"Excuse me Ms. Shine but I just want to ask-"But Shine wasn't behind in that room.

Instead, I found two Pokemon in the room, an Eevee who was sitting in front of a mirror and a Sneasel who was apparently brushing the former's fur. We looked at each other for about five seconds; I was only after that time that I reacted.

"Oh! I uh…I'm sorry." I stuttered. "I thought this was Ms. Shine's room."

"What made you say that?" the Sneasel asked.

"Well I heard that song and I know that Ms. Shine had an…angelic voice."

"Are you talking about me?" the Eevee asked.

"Huh?"

"That…that was me singing." she admitted.

"Really?" I was slightly surprised. Wait...if she was that good, then...

"Yeah; it's a little thing she got from her mom." the Sneasel explained.

"Your…your mom?" I asked again. I had a feeling about this.

"Yeah; I'm Shana. I'm Shine's daughter." the Eevee said slowly. "So…you really think I sound…angelic?"

Actually, I didn't know how to respond to that. As much as I wanted to say yes, I couldn't for some reason. I ended opening my mouth but then closing it while blushing.

"Anyway, why're you looking for my mom?" Shana asked.

"Oh, I'm a little lost and I'm looking for someone to help me find your dad's office."

"Oh we'll help you out." Shana said as she and and the Sneasel left the room with me. "By the way, I didn't catch your name."

"I'm Flare. Nice to meet you two." I answered.

"Well you already know me and this is Blizzara but you can call her Zara." Shana introduced. "C'mon let's go." I began to head to Shade's office.

"Hey Shana, he's kinda cute don't you think?" I heard Zara whispered to Shana.

"Yeah I guess." Shana said while taking a glance at me. I saw her and nervously smiled back.

"And he likes your voice; if I didn't know any better; I'd say-"

I heard them only faintly. I was too busy looking around the corridor taking in what I saw, remembering every detail.

"Anyway, we're here." Shana said loudly to stop Zara from finishing her sentence. I looked up and saw a large wooden door. Shana opened the door and entered Shade's office.

There he was,Shade, the number 1 enemy of the rebels. The Pokemon who several others tried to kill was doing some paperwork with Shine next to him. A Weavile was there too, relaxing on the couch there; I knew that his name was Slice. The three of them looked up when the door opened.

"Yes Shana, what is it?" Shine asked.

"Hey dad, there's someone here to see you." Shana said indicating me.

"Really? Come in, come in." Shade said and the three of us entered the room.

"Hello sir, my name's Flare." I said walking forward being as respectful as I could. "I'm here to apply to become a personal guard for your daughter."

Everyone, especially Shana, was surprised. "Dude, you sure about this?" Slice asked.

"Yes I am. I may be young but I think I can be a good guard for her."

"Alright. Please, take a seat." Shade gestured us to sit and they all did. Shade joined them.

"So Flare, tell me about yourself." Shade said.

I had already memorized what I was going to say.

Here's the truth: When I was very young, my house was attacked by rebels; even then, they like killing off popular supporters of Shade which included both my parents. Two Ninetails were the ones who took my parents life. I was only five and all alone. There were planning to kill me too but they said they found potential in me. They gave me a choice: die or join their cause. I was young and confused; I chose the latter.

What I said to Shade was that he was that the two Ninetails who found me were my actual parents and that we lived a pretty normal life. But my life wasn't normal at all; I had been trained to kill and spy and other rebel activities. It was miserable life for me; my "parents" treated me like crap and continuously mistreated me every time I failed a mission or when they just felt like it.

I was done saying my perfectly rehearsed story. "Alright Flare, there's a little test you have to pass before we hire you." Shade said turning to Slice. "Hey Slice, who's available?"

"I dunno uh…" Slice looked at the wall clock. "Scuttle should be available by now."

"Then Scuttle it is. Could you get him to meet us in the garden?" Shade said and Slice left. "Alright Flare, we're going to the rooftop garden to have your test."

"My mom's still up there." Zara pointed out.

"Good; she could help us out." Shine said and we all rose and left the room.

"Excuse me but uh…what exactly is the test?" I asked.

"Oh you'll see." Shana said with a smile.

"Why didn't anyone tell me about this test?" I mentally asked myself.

On sight, I could tell that the rooftop garden of the building was the perfect place to just kick back and relax. There were benches, soft grass, a few trees to provide shade and plenty of flowers, mostly Gracidea. A lone Medicham was meditating on the grass alone in this tranquil and serene place until she looked up and saw the us enter the garden.

"Ah Shade, do you need anything?" she asked getting up.

"Yeah Chi." Shade said indicating me. That must mean she's Zara's mom. "This guy here wants to become Shana's personal guard. You know what to do."

Chi nodded and spoke to me. "Now Flare is it? Please stand over here to begin your test." She pointed at a big patch of grass with a long bench facing it. I gulped nervously and walked over to the spot Chi pointed at while the others sat on the bench waiting. What could they be planning for me?

"So what now?" I asked Chi.

"Now we wait for…Who is it?" she asked the group.

"Scuttle mom." Zara answered.

"I'm right here!" We turned and saw Slice accompanied by a large Drapion I assumed to be Scuttle. He was eying me with interest.

"Oh this's gonna be fun." Scuttle said walking to a spot opposite Flare.

"Ready yourselves." Chi said extending her hand between us.

"Uh, what's going on?" I asked.

"It's a battle; that's your test." Zara answered. "My mom's referee and your opponent's my uncle Scuttle."

Wait, what?

"Begin!" Chi shouted raising her arm.

A battle! No one ever told me I was supposed to fight. "Wait, don't I get a say in this?" I asked.

"NO!" Scuttle yelled charging in, a Cross Poison ready.

* * *

The song above was a portion of Fifteen by Taylor Swift.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4  
**FLARE'S POV**

I successfully dodged Scuttle's first Cross Poison but the later kept it up several times with me dodging each one. Scuttle delivered one last Cross Poison but I dodged it again.

Wow, I knew Shade and Shine's guards were tough but I didn't exactly know how tough. But I knew that I still had a chance. Thought I was just a spy , I know how to fight very well.

Scuttle charged in again with Cross Poison; I took a glance at the spectators of the match before using Quick Attack and ramming Scuttle in the chest.

"That's a pretty good hit." Shade commented.

"Yeah but that's not enough to beat Scuttle." Shine pointed out.

I didn't want to lose momentum. I went on the offensive this time and unleashed Flamethrower. Scuttle side stepped and charged in again with Cross Poison. I used Quick Attack again to dodge; I ended up behind Scuttle and launched a Flamethrower at his back.

"By the way Shana, I've been meaning to ask this. So is this guy alright enough for you?" I heard Shine asked her daughter. "I mean, you've turned away a lot of applicants before just because you don't feel comfortable around them-"

"No; he's alright mom." Shana said. Shine nodded and returned to the match.

Scuttle switched tactics and used Rock Climb this time; his pincers glowed white and he slammed them onto the ground causing several tall pointed rocks shot out. Scuttle slammed one of them in my direction.

I didn't dodge this time; I've been trained to counter many attacks and Rock Climb was on of them. As the rock approached, I used Extrasensory and shattered it it pieces much to everyone's surprise. I then used Quick Attack to jump from another rock. Mid-air, I spun while firing a Flamethrower which hit Scuttle painfully. When I was close enough, I rammed Scuttle again in the chest knocking him back.

"You're losing Scuttle!" Slice yelled out.

"I'm working on it!" Scuttle yelled back. I fired another Flamethrower but Scuttle hid behind one of the rocks. I blasted it to pieces with Extrasensory and from the dust cloud that appeared, Scuttle lunged with Cross Poison again. I jumped as Scuttle's claw hit the ground. I then ran up Scuttle's arm, and jumped on his head.

I ended up landing on top of another rock and fired another Flamethrower which knocked Scuttle into a rock. The latter recovered and used Cross Poison to destroy the rock I was on. As he fell, Scuttle grabbed my leg and threw me aside. I hit the ground painfully but was able to get back up.

Scuttle panted a little. "Give up yet?"

"Me? No offense but this is the first time you've damaged me." I pointed out with a smirk.

Scuttle grumbled and made more rocks with Rock Climb before slamming one in my direction. I blasted it again and hit Scuttle with Quick Attack. This time, I kicked off Scuttle's chest onto a rock and used Quick Attack again while Scuttle was distracted. I kept this tactic up several times each blow hitting his target perfectly.

"Damn it; he isn't giving up yet." I thought after the fifth hit.

But Scuttle finally had enough; when I rushed in to hit him again, he swatted me with his pincer sending him crashing into a rock. Before I could recover, Scuttle finally successfully hit me with Cross Poison. One second I'm against a rock, the next second I'm on the ground being pinned by his pincer.

Time to play dead. I closed my eyes and went completely still.

"That looks like it for him." Zara said.

Then I heard Shana say: "I thought he was a lot stronger than that."

That made me feel down from some reason.

"Don't count me out yet." I said opening my eyes. I took advantage of Scuttle's surprise and used Flamethrower on the pincer that was pinning me. Scuttle reflexively jerked it away leaving him vulnerable. I used Quick Attack to ram his chest again and finished off with a point blank Heat Wave, something I'd been saving. The force of the attack sent Scuttle flying into a rock. The impact shattered the rock and Scuttle collapsed.

There was a moment of silence. Chi ran up to Scuttle and examined him. finally, she announced: "Scuttle has been rendered unconscious! This battle goes to Flare!"

"He...He...He actually passed." Shade said shocked.

"I...I actually passed." I said. I was surprised too but not as surprised as Shade. Scuttle was tough; I still could've lost that battle.

Shade and the rest of the spectators got up and approached me. "That was some match Flare." Shade said; I smiled.

"Yeah but I still think you'd've lost if you fought Chi." Slice added.

"You are too kind Slice." Chi said at her husband's remark.

"Uh, hey, what's going on?" Scuttle said waking up.

"Sorry dude but you lost." Slice answered.

Scuttle gave a disappointed groan. "Oh well; you won fair and square Flare. Shana, he'd be a great guard for you."

Shana smiled and turned to me. "Congrats Flare. I guess you're my new personal guard."

"No not yet he is. Let's go to my office first so we can make it official." Shade said. "Oh, take a break Scuttle; you deserve it."

"Yes but not here. I still have more meditation to do." Chi said.

"Mind if I join you mom?" Zara asked. Chi nodded and they sat down cross legged in the middle of the garden. Everyone else left and went to Shade's office except for Scuttle.

"Well Flare's everything's set; you're now Shana's official personal guard." Shade said after some paperwork. "You'll be living here working every day. We'll give you a day off-"

"No. I don't want to have any day off." I said quickly. Everyone was surprise.

"Don't you want to see your parents every now and then?" Shine asked.

"No it's alright." I assured. "They're usually really busy with work. They're almost always out of the house."

That was only a part of why I didn't want to go. Sure my "parents" were out of the house most of the time due to their being rebels but when they were there, I suffered nothing but cruelty at their hand. I try to avoid that house as much as possible.

"OK." Shade said slowly. "Anyway, you can start tomorrow. You're room's not too far from Shana's."

I was glad. "Don't worry sir. I'll protect your daughter."

Shade frowned. "I'm sorry but I have to know that you mean it." He paused a bit. "Rebel activities have increased and I'm worried about my daughter. I have to know 100% that I can trust you to protect her Flare."

I paused a bit and bit my bottom lip. I looked to the side to where Shana was. She met my gaze and smiled at my. I took a deep breath and faced Shade.

"I Flare will protect your daughter Shana for as long as I live. As long as I live, I will not allow a anyone to hurt her. If anyone so much as threatens the ground she walks on, I'll be there as her shield."

I could tell that everyone was staring at me; Shana did more intensely and Shade finally nodded.

I sighed and looked down, the words I just said went through my head again.

What a weird thing to say to someone I was told to kill.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone. I just want you to know that, just for fun, I posted a little side story staring Slice and Chi. It's just a little side story so if you wanna read it, just go to my profile page and look for my new story.

Enjoy ;)

* * *

CHAPTER 5  
**FLARE'S POV**

I told Shade about getting lost on the way to his office. He decided to give me a tour of the whole building. He showed me everything from the bedrooms, to the bathrooms even to the secret tunnel we should use in case of an emergency.

Quit a lot of info to give to a rebel.

"And this is your room. You can start working tomorrow." Shade said indicating the door before me. "You're not too far from Shana's room so you'll have to wake her up every morning."

"Alright sir." I replied.

He smiled." Good, see you tomorrow then."

He left me and I entered the room. It was like Shana's room, just a large room with a mirror along one end and a bed on the other. This was a lot better than my room back "home". I was about to head over to my bed when there was a knock on my door. To my surprise, Shana stepped in.

"Hi Flare. All settled in?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm doing fine." I answered. Then came a very awkward moment of silence.

"So I guess you're my personal guard now." she said slowly.

"Yeah, I guess." I replied.

Yet another silence between us occurred. Seriously, if things would be like this all the time, then I don't know what I'd do.

"Listen, about what you said earlier," she said. I was kinda expecting her to bring that up. She sighed before continuing. "You don't really have to push yourself to protect me."

"But that's why I was hired."

"Yeah but I can handle myself pretty fine. I've even tried sparring with Zara few times and kept beating her."

"Well aren't you a tough girl." I chuckled a bit. I was actually laughing, something I had never done in a long time.

Shana pouted a little. "I am. Why don't we fight now so I can show you?"

I was still laughing a little. "I can't; I'm supposed to prevent any harm to you, not cause it."

"Yeah well, you must be strong for you to beat my uncle Scuttle." she said.

"Yeah well...I am pretty good at it." This was when I stopped laughing. The reason I was so good at fighting was because I trained with the rebels. Could I beat Shana if I did fight her?

"Anyway, good night Flare. I'll see you tomorrow." Shana said before leaving. What surprised me was how she said that. She spoke to me like a friend, like someone she could trust. But I was the complete opposite of that.

I wasn't sent here to protect her; I was sent here to kill her and her whole family.

Many rebels tried getting this job too but they always ended up failing. Eventually, it was discovered that if anyone big and tough looking was sent, Shade would get suspicious and turn him or her away. So they decided to send the youngest one they could find so that Shade wouldn't get suspicious, in other words me.

Killing this family was going to be the toughest mission I've ever done but I couldn't kill them now. So I just lay down on my bed and slept wondering when will be the day that I would have to kill them.

I woke up the next day feeling like I should be doing something...Oh yeah, I had to wake Shana up. The clock nearby said that it was a few minutes before ten so I got up and headed to Shana's room; I already knew where it was. On my way there, I saw a yawning Zara approach.

"Huh? Flare, what're you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm supposed to wake Shana up." I replied.

"You mean I don't have to do it anymore? This is great!" she yelled happily.

"OK. I guess I'll go wake her up now."

"Yeah. Good luck with that." Giggling a bit, Zara left me. I made my way to Shana's room and entered it.

There she was, Shana, sleeping soundly not knowing that a member of the rebels was right before her. There was a window in her room. I could easily kill her right here right now and get away with it.

I slowly approached her until she was right next to me; I was at the right side of her bed. She was still sleeping, so peaceful, so innocent, so vulnerable. I could smother her or burn her to death right now and she wouldn't know a thing. I slowly raised my paw but I stopped in mid air. My paw shook, I didn't know what to do. Finally, I placed my paw on her shoulder.

"Shana...Shana, c'mon, it's time to get up." I said gently shaking her shoulder. I heard her groan a bit before her eyes opened slowly.

"Huh? What...what're you doing here?" she asked yawning a bit.

"I'm supposed to wake you up every morning." I replied.

"Can't I just sleep for just a few more minutes?" she asked.

I smiled a bit. "No; it's time for your breakfast."

"Fine." she sighed and got out of bed. "What time is it?"

"Around ten." I answered.

"That's weird; I'm not usually up this early. I mean, it usually takes me half a our to wake me and you did it in less than five seconds. How did you do it Flare?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Beats me. Anyway, c'mon; it's time for breakfast." Shana and I then left the room and headed towards the dining room.

**SHANA'S POV**

When Flare and I entered the dining room, every eye turned to us. Everyone in the room, my parents especially, were looking at me so shocked they stopped eating. To their left, Zara, and my uncle Slice and Aunt Chi were doing the same and so were my uncles Levi,a Claydol, and Berg, a Drifblim, who were on the right.

"Shana...you're up early." my dad said slowly.

"Uh yeah. I guess so." I said shrugging my shoulders.

"How the heck did you do that?" Zara asked.

"I was the one who woke her up." Flare added.

"Did you do anything special or different?" my mom asked.

"No." he replied.

My parents looked at each other with surprise and worry. Why would they worry? So what if Flare's the only one who can wake me up on time? Big deal. That's a good thing right?

I sat down at a chair and began breakfast. I invited Flare to join us but he refused but I insisted that he did and he finally gave in and joined us.

"Oh Shade, I've got something for you." my uncle Levi said. "Slash requested to be moved to another house again. Rebels found out his old address and attack. He barely escaped.

For some odd reason, Flare shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Alright; I'll work on that later." my dad replied.

"I kinda feel sorry for Slash." my mom said sadly. "He's been fighting his whole life; all he wants now is a nice, quiet life and now he has to worry about rebel attacks."

To my side, I saw Flare put down his berry and stared at his plate miserably. This worried me. "Flare, what's wrong?"

He was startled by my question. "I-it's nothing. Sorry, I'll continue eating." And he went back to his breakfast but I couldn't help but notice the gloom in his eyes.

"Maybe we should change topic." my mom suggested. "So...today's the last day of summer vacation huh?"

Zara and I groaned loudly, like we needed any reminding that this was the last day our of academic freedom. Tomorrow, we're both going back to the stressful ordeal that is high school. At least it's our last year in it.

"Flare, I've made some arrangements regarding school. You'll be in Shana's class." my dad said.

"Alright sir." Flare replied.

"D'you already have your books and stuff?"

"Um...no sir. Truthfully, I wasn't really planning to go to go but I will now."

"Then I'll get some for you." my dad said. That was rather nice of him.

"So what're you two doing for the last day of summer" my mom asked.

"Oh," Zara answered. "We're gonna go to the mall later and hang out with Slick until lunch."

At the word "Slick", her parent's eyes turned to her looking grave and apprehensive. That was totally normal every time we mention that we were going to hang out with him.

Zara, Flare and I finished breakfast and headed downstairs to leave. At the entrance, we found Slick, a Linoone, leaning against the wall.

"Shana, Zara, you two ladies are looking absolutely fine today." he said with his trademark smile.

"Hey Slick." I replied. Beside me, Zara was blushing and covered her cheeks in acknowledgment of Slick's compliment.

He turned to Flare and raised an eyebrow. "And who's this?"

"Oh, I'm Flare, Shana's personal bodyguard." Flare answered.

"Someone finally got the job?" Slick extended his paw and Flare shook it but hesitantly at first. "I'm Slick."

"Uh, nice to meet you." Flare replied.

The four of us then left and headed to the mall. While Slick was telling Zara how beautiful she was looking today, I looked back and saw that Flare was walking a little distance behind us; he looked like he didn't want to talk to anyone.

That struck me; I knew Flare had to protect me and stuff but that doesn't mean we can't talk and stuff right? He's my guard and if he's going to be close to me, I should at least know more about him.

So I backed up a bit and approached him. "So Flare...when was the last time you went to the mall?"

"Well, actually, I've never been to the mall." he answered.

"Oh, then where do you go with your friends when you have some free time?" I asked again.

He seemed more reluctant with every question I asked him. "I don't have any friends and when I have free time I do...family stuff."

No friends? No time to relax? I felt sorry for my new guard.

The four of us finally arrived at the mall and decided to get a snack. At the food court, we decided to get some berry shakes.

"Alright, that's a Sitrus for me," Slick who was giving our orders said. "Mago for Zara and Lum for Shana."

"Wait, you forgot Flare." I said. "What do you like Flare?"

"Er...no. I'm fine." he replied.

"C'mon, you should try one; it's really good." I insisted.

"Fine, I'll have Oran." he said. We got our shakes and went over to a nearby table to drink our shakes.

"Mmmm. I love Mago berry shakes; they're so sweet." Zara said sipping her shake.

"Yes; and they make you cuter than you already are Zara." Slick added. Zara blushed and playfully punched his shoulder.

"How's your shake Flare?" I asked.

The three of us turned to him; he showed surprise at the attention he received. Slowly, he raised the straw and took a little sip. His eyes widened slightly and he continued sipping hastily until he finished the entire cup.

"It's delicious. I've eaten plain Oran berries before but putting them in shake form makes it a lot better." he told us. For the first time today, he smiled.

"I'm glad you like it; why don't I get you another one." Slick said.

"No I'm fine." said but the look on his face suggested otherwise.

"No; it's alright. It's on me." Slick rose and bought another Oran berry shake and gave it to Flare. "Cheers, to good delicious shake. May it always be there when we need something good to drink."

The four of us touched our cups together and drank down the entire cup. After this, Zara said: "So who's up for ice skating?"

What made the mall famous was the ice rink at the bottom floor. It was a large, lake sized pool of water kept frozen by the Spheal under the ice. The whole rink was surrounded by a wooden wall. About ten other Pokemon were already skating when we arrived.

"Alright, let's go." Zara said as she stepped onto the ice. She gracefully glided forward on one foot and then jumped. She somersaulted in mid air before landing gracefully skating away facing us.

"Show off." I muttered before I stepped onto the ice. You might think skating with four legs would be hard but it's very easy for me. I glided forward, jumped and landed on my hind feet. I skated around spin like this before going into a spin.

It was when I was spinning that I noticed something. While Slick had stepped on to the ice and started skating with Zara, Flare remained at the edge of the rink. I stopped spinning and skated towards him.

"C'mon Flare, why don't you join us? It's really fun." I said to him.

"No...It's OK. Besides, I can guard you perfectly well from right here." he answered.

I opened my mouth to say something when Slick snuck up behind Flare and pushed him onto the ice. As Flare panicked as he skated forward, I laughed and followed him.

"You don't know how to skate don't you?" I asked playfully when I caught up to him.

"N-N-N-No!" he shouted trying to regain balance. "W-W-Wall!"

I looked forward and saw that we were approaching a wall. "Lean to your left to turn; like this."

I turned easily and watched him. He was able to stop panicking a little and leaned to his left which made him turn my way.

"H-hey...I turned!" he cried out. He turned right this time and seemed to get the hang of it.

"Alright, now stop!" I yelled to him.

"Wait, how?" he asked turning to me. He didn't notice that the wall was coming up fast.

"Flare, wall!" I yelled. He turned and saw the wall but it was too late; he crashed face first right into the wall and fell down. Despite the fact that he might be hurt, I ended up laughing; Zara and Slick did the same. But despite that, he got up and continued skating.

I found that very admirable. If you ask me, I don't care how many time to fall down. What I really admire is that you keep getting back up every time.

Maybe he would make a pretty good guard.

* * *

"Ah that was some good skating." Zara said when we were done and on our way home.

"Yes, what a fun way to celebrate the last day of summer vacation." Slick said. Zara told him that she didn't need any reminding. Again, I saw Flare walking a little distance from us.

"So Flare, did you have fun today?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. I did." he answered.

I wanted to say something; something I've been wanting to say all day. Something to Flare, who seemed to not want to enjoy the day with us.

I sighed. "Look Flare, just because you're my guard doesn't mean we can't at least be friends right?"

He looked right at me. "I guess so." he replied.

I nodded. "Good; so...friends?" I extended my paw to him. He seemed to hesitate and stared at it for a while.

"Friends." he finally said taking my paw and shaking it.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6  
**FLARE'S POV**

Friends?...With her?...With them?

No. No no no. That can't be possible; it just can't. I'm a rebel and she's the daughter of our number 1 enemy. We're not even to be this close to each other. In fact, she and her family should stay as far away from me as possible.

Then why did I shake her paw and told her that I could be her friend?

I'll admit, I really enjoyed that time in the mall; I have never had this much fun before. In fact, I haven't had any fun at all in my life. I was so young when I first joined the rebels and I could barely remember a time before that.

What have I done? What I just did just made my situation much worse. It's much harder to kill someone you called your friend.

* * *

"Shana, time to get up." I said shaking her shoulder. It was the day after we went to the mall which meant that it was the first day of school. It was like 6:30 am and a Wednesday; class starts at 7:30. I was still sleepy but did my job anyway.

Like yesterday, she woke up easily; I wonder why I could do this. Anyway, Shana got up and we went to breakfast. When we arrived, we found out that we, along with Zara, were the only ones awake. The lucky adults got to sleep longer.

But halfway through breakfast, Shine and Slice entered the room. "Mom? What're you doing up this early?"

"We're here to see you off to school." Shine said. She and Slice then joined us for early breakfast.

"Why didn't you wake dad up?" Shana asked.

"Oh let him sleep." Shine replied. "He was up until midnight last night doing paperwork. Besides, he wished you a good first day."

"So Flare," Slice began. "Ever went to Central City High before?"

I hesitated a bit. "No sir. I went to a...different school."

That was true. The school I went to was the rebel training grounds. No homework, no tests, no detention; greatest school ever right? Wrong. Instead of giving homework, they give you 500 laps or push ups or consecutive sparring matches; instead of tests, they give you missions that could get you killed; and instead of detention, they beat you up to within an inch of your life...or torture you...or kill you.

All of us finished breakfast and left. We were all carrying our bags; mine was just a simple one but when I looked inside, I found all sorts of books in it along with other school stuff. My "parents" would never buy me this.

Since I didn't know the way, they gladly showed me the way. We met up with Slick along the way; he flirted a bit with the girls again like yesterday. After a few minutes, Central City High School was before us.

The whole nation was divided into three main cities- Amber City, Crimson City and Central City where Shade lived. Rebels were placed in all three of them each one waiting for Dart's orders to strike.

Like other schools in the nation, Central City High was a very good school to go to. It had everything, track ovals, a gym, library, gardens to rest in, etc. The four of us were just in time and made our way to our lockers on the first floor.

"Oh Flare, one thing: you can now help Shana out with her fans." Zara said.

"Fans? What fans?" I asked confused.

Slick looked at a wall clock. "Oh you'll find out in about 5...4...3...2...1..."

"SHANAAAAA!"

That yell startled me. I turned around and saw a huge stampede of Pokemon headed right for us. What the hell?

"Shana, this way!" I ran away and the three of them followed me but wherever we went the mob of Pokemon still chased us.

I had and idea of what was going on and a way to get out of this but I had to confirm something first. "Shana, they're all males right?" I asked as we ran.

"Yeah, about 95% of the male student population." she answered.

I knew it. "This way!"

Along the second floor I found the girls bathroom; they'll never follow them there. "Get in quick!" I said and Shana and Zara entered the bathroom. Slick and I stood outside ready to handle the mob.

The huge mob of male Pokemon now surrounded me and Slick. "Uh...keep moving everyone! Nothing to see here!" I said out loud.

"Where's Shana!" a Zangoose shouted.

"She's in the restroom." I answered.

"Who're you!" someone else asked.

"I'm Flare, Shana's personal bodyguard." I heard them make sounds of frustration and disappointment. Then the bell rang and the mob separated.

The door opened and the two girls stepped out. "You handled that pretty well Flare." Shana said.

"What was that about?" I asked wanting and explanation.

"I'll tell you in class." Shana said and the four of us went to the classroom.

There were about forty of us in the room. Friends were talking happily, greeting each other after a summer apart. My seat was in the middle of the room. Shana was behind me, Zara was in front of me and Slick was to my left.

I turned to Shana. She gave a small smile and explained. "Those Pokemon you saw were my...admirers. They all want me to be their girlfriend or something."

"Really? How long has it been like this?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Ever since I first entered high school. Good idea by the way going to the girls room; it's where we go all the time."

So Shana get chased by a bunch of crazed boys huh? Must be tough being the most sought after girl in the whole school.

The bell rung again and our teacher, an old Ariados named Ms. Arachne, entered the room. She showed us our schedules; when she announced that first up today was math, about half the class groaned before taking out their books.

And so began an hour and a half of math. Ms. Arachne's voice seemed to make about half the class sleepy and barely anyone was paying attention. Some were sleeping, Slick was sending notes to Zara but Shana was actually listening and even taking down notes. After math was science taught by and Alakazam named Mr. Albert. Again, barely anyone payed attention but Shana and me.

After that was recess. As we left, I approached Shana. "Are we one of the only ones actually listening?"

"Yeah. I just let Slick and Zara copy my notes." she answered.

"So why are you listening?"

She sighed. "I'm going to run this nation when I get older. I want to learn more because the smarter I am, the better I can take care of the Pokemon here."

Wow. I was just listening because it's the right thing to do but her...Shana wants to learn so she can take care of this nation. How admirable.

The cafeteria was a large room filled with tables to one side and several baskets filled with berries and various pastries made from them. At the sight of an Oran berry tart, I grabbed about four of them and put them on my plate. Everyone else grabbed plates and berries and a few pastries and the four of us sat together.

Shana lifted a Pecha berry to her mouth. "Wait Shana." I said.

"Huh? Why Flare?" she said putting the berry down.

I took the berry from her and the three of them stared at me. "I just want to make sure this berry's safe. Y'know, like it's not poisoned or something."

"Aw c'mon. I know your supposed to protect her but we're safe here in school. Relax." Slick said.

No, I couldn't relax. The rebels have developed a special kind of poison so powerful, even the Immunity ability can't stop it. It can be laced into anything, even a plain berry. But what really makes this poison special is that it has a very particular scent that indicates its presence but ordinary Pokemon don't know this scent. Rebels were trained to memorize this scent so that we won't be killed by it accidentally. Its quick and simple; the victims don't know they've taken it until they drop dead.

Gently, I sniffed the berry several time trying to see if it contained traces of that poison. After I was done, I said: "Well, it seems fine to me." and put it back on Shana's plate.

"Seriously Flare, I'll be fine." she said. And when she took a bite, it hit me.

Why did I do that? Why did I want to check if there was poison in it? There wasn't any in the first place but still! I shouldn't have stopped her; I should've let her eat it poison or no poison. If there was poison, then she would be dead and mission accomplished.

But no. Despite the mission given to me, I feared for her safety. I can't keep showing this reluctance. I have to kill her one day.

After recess, we headed to our lockers to get some stuff.

"Hello there Shana." a voice said. We turned and saw a Breloom standing before us. I think I recognized him as one of the students sleeping in class. I saw their faces turn stony.

"Spore." Shana said with a nod.

"So, how are you today?" I saw him put a hand on her back but then it slowly slid down until it reached her butt. Shana shrieked and jumped back.

As Spore chuckled, I immediately disliked him. Also, what he just did to Shana made me angrier than ever.

"Aw c'mon don't do that. Why don't we go and talk somewhere more...private?" he said taking a step towards Shana. That's where I drew the line; I stepped between them.

"I'm sorry but Shana's unavailable now." I said.

Spore frowned at me. "Who're you?"

"Flare, Shana's personal bodyguard." I answered staring him down.

He surveyed me amused apparently and then looked at Shana. "Someone finally got the job huh? I tried getting the job myself y'know."

"Yeah until my dad practically wiped the floor with you." Zara added.

Spore glared at her. "He had a type advantage."

"You had a x4 type advantage!" Zara shouted.

"Zara, calm yourself." Slick said placing a paw on her shoulder. Still glaring angrily, she backed off. Spore looked at Shana again. But the damage was done; a few Pokemon had decided to watch us.

"Aw c'mon. Why won't you give me a chance?" he asked her.

Shana didn't hesitate to answer. "Well let's see...it's because you're dirty, arrogant, perverted, selfish, a bully, right now I bet you're thinking right now of all the horribly disgusting things you would do to me if we were alone in a room, and I would just love it if you just walked away now."

"Oh don't say that." he took a step forward but I blocked his path again.

"I think you should go now." I said. Spore snorted at me and turned away.

But then he turned back and tried to punch me; I ducked just before he hit my face. Shana, Zara and Slick backed of as a ring of Pokemon shouting: "Fight! Fight!" surrounded us.

Spore continued his assault. He launched another punch but I ducked and went around him. As I did, I saw Shana who was looking terrified at me but I didn't have time to say anything to her for Spore aimed another punch which I dodged. Eventually, I ended up back against the lockers panting while Spore surveyed me.

"What's going on here?" I turned and saw an adult Lucario walking towards the crowd.

Bad idea; Spore took advantage of that and actually used an attack, a Mach Punch that hit me right in the face and made me smash into the lockers.

"Flare!" I heard Shana shout through the pain.

"Explain yourselves!" the Lucario shouted and everyone went silent.

"Coach Aurora, this guy here attacked me and I was acting on self defense." Spore lied.

"Hah! Nice try but I saw the whole thing. You're going with me." Coach Aurora said taking Spore's arm. "And you," she faced me. "You should get to the infirmary and have that bruise checked. And all of you get to class!"

Bruise? Now that I think about it, I did feel a swelling under my left eye. Coach Aurora walked away with Spore and the crowd separated. The three of them met up with me and showed me where the infirmary was.

There, I was given an ice bag and held it up to my bruise. "I'm not sure if what you did was really brave or really stupid." Zara said. "Nobody pick a fight with Spore."

"After what he did to Shana, I didn't care." I replied and sighed and faced Shana. "It's my job to protect you especially from Pokemon like Spore."

Shana didn't reply and Slick said that we better get to class or we'll be late. Taking the ice bag with me, we left the infirmary.

* * *

"Hey you three. How was your first day at-what happened to you?" Slice said at the sight of the my bruise. School was over and we went home and then to Shade's office.

"What happened to you Flare?" Shade asked.

"He ended up in a fight at school dad. It's not his fault." Shana said before I could say anything.

"Who was it?" Shine asked.

"Spore."

"That dirty Breloom I beat?" Slice asked.

"That's him." Zara answered.

"Well at least nothing bad happened." Shine began.

"Really? Look at me." I said dejectedly. "It's only my second day on the job and I already got injured. Some guard I am." I hung my head.

"That's not true Flare." Shana said and I looked up at her. "Your job is to protect me from anything that might harm me. Everyday I go home safe and sound means that you did your job. You're a good guard Flare."

That cheered me up very much but that didn't explain the blush that crept onto my cheek. "Excuse me. I'm just going to put my stuff away."

I left the office and headed to my room. After putting my bag away, I faced the mirror; the bruise was still there but it was a lot smaller now. I reminded myself to put some more ice on it later.

Then, there was a knock on the door ans Shana stepped in. "Hey Flare, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty fine." I replied and she sat down on my bed. "Y'know, you should be doing your homework now."

"What? Are you my dad too?" she asked smiling and I chuckled a bit.

But then she stopped and sighed. "Look Flare...I uh...How's the bruise of yours?"

I knew she was wondering what to say but I answered anyway. "Oh it's pretty fine. I just have to avoid Spore now."

"Yeah well...there's something you need to know about all those boys who like me." she said sadly. I listened in closely. "All those boys only want me because I'm going to be ruling this nation soon. All they want is the power that comes with being with me."

Shana looked sadly away from me. "But I don't want that. I...I want someone out of love. I want somebody to love me as me not as the next ruler of the nation..."

It was then that I knew that those boys, Spore especially, didn't have a chance with her. She deserves someone who would love her for who she was and not for what she was going to do.

"You'll find him someday." I ended up saying. "I know it; one day, you'll meet him, someone who loves the real you not what you're going to be, someone who would always stick by your side no matter what, someone who would bring you comfort when you need it the most. And when that time comes, you'll be the happiest girl in the world."

She faced me with a smile on her face. "Thanks Flare; that meant a lot."

"You did cheer me up a while ago. I'm just returning the favor." I said. Shana walked towards the door.

"I think you're right; I should get started my homework. C'mon, let's go get Zara." she said.

"Wait, as in doing homework with you two?" I asked.

"Of course. Isn't it normal for friends to help each other out in schoolwork? I'll go ahead; you just catch up later."

As she left my room, I remembered something, that she, Zara, Slick, we were all friends. I...I had never had a friend before...

So with a smile on my face, I grabbed my homework and left to do it with my friends.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7  
**SHANA'S POV**

Flare's a lot more social now; from walking away from us only speaking to answer quietly to doing homework with us, helping each other out and sometimes laughing when Zara doesn't get it the lesson. He was a really great guy; I'm glad to have a guard like him.

When Spore (Ugh I hate that guy), harassed me yesterday and when Flare stepped up to protect me, I gained new respect for him and I got mad at Spore too for hurting him. When Flare seemed down after that, I felt like it was my job to cheer him up and he ended up returning the favor.

I'm glad to have someone like him. Flare's my guard and my friend and I trust him completely.

* * *

After Flare got Zara and I to the girls bathroom again while he and Slick handled my fans, we headed over our room. As we sat down, Spore stepped in and froze when he saw us. We glared back at him but before any of us could do anything, our teacher stepped in making him sit down far away from us.

"Hey, isn't it club picking day today?" Zara asked during recess.

"Yeah, I think so." I replied. Flare looked at me wondering what this was about so I explained.

"Today's the day we pick our clubs for the rest of the year. We meet once every week to do stuff. With more than 50 clubs to choose from, you're bound to find one you like."

"I see." Flare said nodding. Just then, the bell signaling the end of recess rung. The students got up and began running to their respective clubs before they become full.

"That's the pre-club rush." Zara said. The four of us got up. "If you need me, I'll be at the baseball club!" She ran off.

"Sculpting!" Slick yelled before running off too.

I turned to Flare. "I guess we should go pick our clubs now." i told him.

"Huh? But I'm supposed to-" he began.

"Stay with me? Don't worry, I'll be fine." I told him.

He nodded slowly. "OK. So where're you going?" he asked.

"The school choir." I answered. "They'll be pretty depressed since this is my last year with them. Anyway, see you later."

I walked away wondering what club he'll end up in. I went up a few floors to the music room which was where the school choir met.

"Shana, good to have you back." a Poochyena named Jacob said as I entered. He's my uncle Blaze's son. "Where's Flare? My dad told me about him."

"He went of to find his own club. I'm sure he'll be fine." I replied.

"Ah, now there's my star pupil." Mr. Specter, a Mismagius and our instructor said walking up to me. "What a pity though; this is the last year you'll be with us." He began to tear up.

"There there, it's OK sir." Jacob said comforting him.

"Y-Your're right. Shana, let's make this your best year yet!" he said cheering up quickly.

Jacob and I took our places with the three other member of the choir: Sora, a Pidgeotto; Cirrus, a Swablu; Nami, a Buizel. The three of them look up to me a lot and were also sad that this was my last year.

"Places everyone!" Mr. Specter said handing us song sheets. He walked over to the piano in the room "You've had plenty of time to relax so now the perfect time for some practice. Jacob, Sora you two start."

And so we sang while Mr. specter played the piano with Psychic. Everyone here was really good but they were really expecting my turn. When it was my turn, every eye turned to me and I sang my heart out._  
_

Everyone, clapped when I was done. "Marvelous marvelous. You haven't changed one bit Shana."

"Waahh! We're gonna miss you Shana!" Nami cried out.

"It's alright Nami. I'm sure you'll all do fine without me." I told her.

"Yes yes now let's go back to the matter at hand." Mr Specter said getting everyone's attention.

Before we started again, something caught my eye. The door to the room was slightly ajar and I could've sworn that I just saw the fleck of a red tail behind it before it vanished quickly.

* * *

"So how was club guys?" I said to my friends as we met up for lunch.

"Alright, hit a few home runs for my team." Zara answered.

"I made this." Slick said pulling out a small stone carving of an intricately designed snowflake on a pedestal. "I call it: A Blizzard's Smallest Member."

"How 'bout you Flare? Where's you end up in?" Zara asked.

"Well I tried out the Battling club and made it in." he answered.

"That's nice; you did beat my uncle Scuttle of course." I said. "One more thing: Flare, did you pass by the music room a while ago?"

He blushed and that was the only answer I needed. So it was Flare who was at the door listening to me sing. I could draw 3 conclusions from this.

1. It was all an accident that he happened to be passing by that time.

2. He was doing his duty as a guard and checked up on me.

3. He actually wanted to go and hear me sing.

The third option seemed the most likely since he once described my voice as angelic. But my mom's like 10 times better than me; he'd surely say the same if she'd sung.

"So how was the Battling club Flare?" I asked going back to our conversation.

"It went well. The initiation was going through 10 consecutive sparring matches with no brakes in between. But I've been through worse." he answered. The "worst" must probably be his fight with my uncle Scuttle.

"But you barely have any injuries." Slick pointed out. "That just proves how tough you are."

Flare smiled. "Thanks Slick."

"The Battling club? You?" a voice from behind said. We ended up facing none other than Spore; Flare instinctively moved slightly closer to me.

"Yes Spore. I'm an official member of the Battling club. Got a problem about that?" Flare replied.

"No, it's just how could you get in if I so beat you yesterday?" Spore smirked.

"I didn't want to fight at that time." Flare mentioned.

"Then how 'bout now? "Spore leaned closer to him. "A slug fest between you and me; how does that sound?"

"You're challenging me to a fight?" Flare said.

"Isn't it obvious? And how about we make things more interesting? If you win, then I won't bother any of you for one week."

A week without Spore? That's good enough for me but Flare didn't back down. "What happens if you win?"

Spore gave the biggest, meanest smile of all. "If I win or if you don't show up," He licked his lips. "Then I get Shana alone for one whole hour."

"Like hell you will!" Flare shouted but I was about to say the same thing before he did. "What time and place?"

"This Saturday at the park at 9:30 am. Don't be late."

"I won't." Flare said. Spore guffawed and left.

"You are going to die Flare." Zara said.

"Maybe not. D'you want me to injure him before Saturday?" Slick suggested baring his claws.

"No." I told him. "Flare, this is serious; you can't fight him." What's up with me? First, I want Flare to beat Spore; and now I'm worrying for his safety?"

"It's my job to especially if he threatens you in any way." he answered seriously.

The bell signaling the end of lunch but out food was barely touched; we didn't have any appetite.

* * *

"A fight? You picked a fight?" my dad said shocked when we arrived.

"Dude, Spore's family's like the richest guys in the city. You do not wanna mess with their son." my uncle Slice said.

"Flare, this isn't the answer." my mom said. "Surely, there must be some-"

"Spore touched my butt yesterday." My parents froze at what I said. "And he said that if Flare didn't show up or lost, then he gets me alone for one whole hour. And I think everyone knows what plans he has for me."

"He didn't." my dad said said angrily.

"Sir, I have to protect Shana; it's the reason you hired me." Flare insisted.

My parents looked at each other. "Alright. Since it's part of your job, I'll allow it." my dad said.

"Alright sir. I'll be going to my room now."

Flare left leaving us alone in my dad's office. I turned to him. "He's a good guy dad; he protects me like a guard and stands up for me like a friend. I'm glad you hired him."

"Shana, we just want you to be alright." my mom said walking over and patting by back.

"Your well being is more important then ours." my dad said. "Flare's your primary guard and if there's anyone we can trust with your safety, it's him."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8  
**FLARE'S POV**

I woke up the next morning feeling slightly drained and exhausted despite all the sleep I got. Yesterday was pretty tiring considering I had to go through 10 consecutive sparing matches just to get into the Battling club but to a rebel, it was cakewalk.

Anyway, I got up and made my way to Shana's room. When I opened the door and saw her sleeping, I suddenly remembered.

The fight! I've got a fight with Spore tomorrow! I didn't know what I was thinking at that time...Wait, I remember, he threatened Shana so my guard instincts must've taken over...

"What the hell am I doing?" I almost shouted. I've got to stop standing up for her or other stuff; I have to kill her one day. All these nice things I've been doing for her just makes it harder to do just that. I have to do it despite everything we've been through; it had to be done!

Somehow, I was able to wake Shana up without her knowing about the inner battle going on in my head. Together, we met up with Zara like always, ate breakfast, met up with Slick and went to school.

When the mob of Shana's admirers showed up again, I remembered something that happened yesterday. As I searched for the club, I noticed that many Pokemon (all males) seemed to glare angrily at me as I passed. I wanted to ask someone about this but given yesterday's events, it slipped my mind.

"Hey Slick." I asked as the mob dispersed; the two girls were still hiding in the girls' bathroom. "Yesterday, I noticed a lot of guys were looking at me angrily."

"Ah, those guy are probably just jealous like almost every other guy in school." he answered. "Some actually hate you."

"Hate me? For what?"

"For being Shana's guard which most of them tried to apply for." Slick explained. "Furthermore, you're pretty close to Shana so that way they hate you."

Close to Shana? "Wait," I began. "What about you Slick? You're close to Shana too so why aren't you hated?"

Slick sighed and turned towards the door to the girls' room. "Because Zara distracts me."

The girls left the bathroom and together we went to class before the bell rung. As we took our seats, Spore entered and glared angrily at me. He then mouthed: "Tomorrow" and then sat down.

The was a loud shrill whistle and most of us covered our ears as Coach Aurora entered the room, a whistle around her neck. "All right, gym's up first so everyone to the gym!"

The gym was a large dome shaped room without three basketball courts in it. Coach Aurora told us to line up at the base line.

"Alright, listen up!" she said creating a Bone Club which made her look more intimidating. "All of you had plenty of rest during summer break but now it's time to start working those bodies back to shape!" She slammed the end of her club onto the floor and everyone flinched. "I want 50 laps each around the whole gym. Go!"

She blew her whistle loudly and everyone set off running. Every now and then, Coach Aurora would say something like: "Swing those arms! Flap those wings! Lift those legs! No complaints!"

After about 20 laps, most of the class was starting to get tired and slow down. As for me, well, I wasn't tired at all. The rebels give me 500 laps a day so I'm pretty used to it.

After 50 laps, Coach Aurora blew her whistle and told us to line up again at the baseline. "Most of you are slowing down today." she said pounding her hand with he club. "You'll need to sharpen up if you wanna survive the year. Today, we'll be having sparring matches. Who'll go first?"

"I will coach." Spore said stepping forward. I was pretty sure he was doing this to scare me.

"Alright. Now who'll go up against Spore." Coach aurora asked.

"I will." To my surprise, Slick stepped up. Spore smirked.

"Slick." I said to him. Near me, Shana was looking at him nervously.

Slick faced me and said: "I told you I'd weaken him for you."

"Good luck Slick!" Zara cried out happily. Slick turned and gave her a wink and a thumbs up before he walked up to Spore. As Coach Aurora took her place at the center of the two, the rest of us sat down on the bleachers to watch. The two fighters took battle stances.

"Begin!"

Slick closed in fast with Slash ready. But Spore was ready; he smirked and used Mach Punch before Slick's attack could hit. The latter was knocked right off his feet but landed easily and recovered.

"Keep it up Slick!" Zara yelled out.

Slick smirked at her before charging at Spore again. Spore fired numerous Seed Bombs but Slick was able to move around them and avoid the explosions. Slick jumped into the air and came down on Spore a Slash ready.

Spore unfortunately caught his arm before Slick could hit him. Then with surprising strength, he threw Slick into the air where he was pounded mercilessly by several Seed Bombs. Slick's problems didn't end there; when he fell, Spore kicked him in the back sending him crashing into the bleachers.

"Slick!" Zara yelled running up to him. He looked awful and really hurt.

"Pfft. That was pathetic!" Spore said laughing.

Coach Aurora on the other hand was only concerned about the next match. "Spore, will you continue or not?"

He shook his head and coach asked us who'd like to face Spore next.

"I will!" To my surprise, Zara stepped up looking determined.

"Shana, Zara doesn't have as much advantage over Spore as he does over her." I told Shana.

As Zara helped the hurt Slick onto the bleachers, Shana answered: "I agree but there's one thing you should know about Zara."

"What?"

Then I saw Zara stand in front of Spore and take a fighting stance.

"Meditation's not the only thing my Aunt Chi teaches her."

"Begin!"

Zara ran forward and slashed with Night Slash. Spore ducked and aimed a Mach Punch with his right hand. Surprisingly, Zara smacked his arm away and aimed a kick at Spore's head. He dodged it and jumped back.

"Both of my parents are two of the toughest Pokemon in the nation! There's no way you can beat me!" Zara said proudly.

Spore punched her but she sidestepped and attempted to elbow his face. Spore aimed a kick forcing Zara to abandon her attempt and dodge. She ended up behind Spore and did a spinning backhand which connected with his back.

"Good hit Zara!" I yelled. She smirked satisfyingly but then we heard Spore laugh.

"You should leave the fighting to the Fighting types." he said and spun around and kicked her in the back. As she skidded across the floor, Spore jumped into the air and delivered a Mach Punch right to her back as she was lying face down.

"Zara!" Shana and I screamed at the same time; we actually stood up. Behind us, I could tell that Slick was trying to get up but couldn't because of his injuries.

Spore was there gazing at the unmoving Zara laughing his heart out. I felt so angry at him that I wished it were Saturday already.

Through his laugh, Spore shouted insultingly: "Think you'd win with your little kung fu moves? Think you's win just because your mom's an incredible fighter? Think you'd win 'cause your dad beat me?"

He gave the biggest laugh of all. "You thought you'd actually win because your parents are tough! C'mon! You're not even their real daughter!"

Ouch.

Something like rage seized Zara at those words; she clenched her fist and I could hear her growling from where I stood. She suddenly stood up, rage filling her eyes and with a loud cry, she charged blindly at Spore with Night Slash.

Spore sidestepped but this time was different. He jumped as he turned and after Zara went past him, he slammed his heel into the back of her neck kicking her face painfully into the floor. I was so horrified that I couldn't say a thing.

"ZARA!"

The one who shouted was Shana who ran over to her best friend's side. I went over there to and helped Zara up. She was still furious and muttered something like: "Not my...real...I'll show..."

But then she fainted. Slick ran over and tried waking her up but she didn't. Coach Aurora told Slick and Shana to take Zara to the infirmary.

As they left, spore laughed again; this time, I felt angry, furious even at what he just did. I turned towards him and he must've seen my face for he stopped laughing.

"Who's next?"

"Me!" I shouted stepping up.

"Hah, I'll sit this one out coach." Spore said taking his seat. He sat down next to his friend, a Jolteon, and whispered something in his ear.

"I'll take Spore's place coach!" he shouted and took his place before me. Coach went between us as we got ready.

"Begin!"

The Jolteon blasted me with Thunder which I countered with Heat Wave. Our attacks met halfway between us and came into a standstill. But I increased the output of my attack and pushed his Thunder right back at him. He was struck by my attacks and was sent flying several feet before skidding along the floor and fainted. I won but I was still angry so I turned to Spore.

"You see that Spore!" I shouted. "Don't think I'll be easy to beat 'cause tomorrow, you're next!"

There were a few seconds of silence where my words hung in the air. Then, the bell rung and coach Aurora blew her whistle.

"Alright time's up! everyone back to class!"


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9  
**SHANA'S POV**

"D'you think Flare will be alright tomorrow?" I asked Slick as we carried Zara to the infirmary.

"I sure hope so. Man Spore's tough." Slick said wincing as he remembered the pain.

We arrived at the infirmary and laid Zara down on one of the beds. She was till unconscious which made Slick and I worried.

"Don't worry, she'll come around soon." Nurse Glee, a Blissey, said to us after examining Zara. "How did this happen?"

"Gym sparring match. That's why I'm pretty hurt too." Slick said rubbing his shoulder.

Just then, Flare entered the infirmary. "How're Zara and Slick?" he asked me.

"Slick's fine; Zara's still unconscious." I answered.

Flare turned his head away from me and said angrily: "Damn that Spore."

"Spore...Flare, I changed my mind. You're not fighting him tomorrow. I don't care anymore about what Spore would do to me."

"Yeah well, I do." he answered. "And so do your parents. As your guard and your friend, I won't allow Spore to do anything to you!"

I opened my mouth to say something, anything but I ended up closing it completely speechless. Flare told me that we had to get back to class; leaving Slick and Zara, we headed back to the class room.

"You might have to explain to my Aunt Chi and Uncle Slice." I said.

"They won't be happy." he replied. We were silent for quite sometime.

"So is Zara really sensitive when she's insulted about...y'know..." Flare said.

I looked at him. "Yeah. It all sorta started when we were still really young." I sighed sadly remembering that horrible day for Zara.

"We were both still in kindergarten. It was recess; I was on the slide and Zara was on the swing set. We were just doing fine until this Shinx walked up and wanted to try out the swings. Zara didn't want to so this big argument started up."

"Then what?" Flare asked.

_Flashback..._

_I'd ran over to check up on the argument when I heard Zara yell out: "__Y'know, you're just a big mean kid!"_

_"Well at least I'm a real kid!" the Shinx shouted back._

_"What's that supposed to mean!" Zara yelled._

_He smirked. "Your daddy and mommy aren't your real ones! My daddy and mommy _are _my real ones!"_

_He laughed. "Haha! You don't know your real parents!"_

_That really upset Zara; the next thing I knew, she was screaming and crying and, to make matters worse, just ran away from school."_

_End Flashback..._

"What happened after that?" Flare asked.

"Well my dad picked me up and told me that Zara just suddenly showed up and ran to her room to cry. The poor thing, I'd never seen her cry like that before. When I got home, I decided to check on her. What I found was her, crying into my Aunt Chi's stomach while her dad stroked her back."

"They said that things were OK, that she should just disregard everything that she heard. And then, she stopped crying and told them that they were the best parents in the world."

Flare smiled. "Well at least it's a happy ending."

I nodded and then frowned. "I hate Spore for reopening that old wound."

"I'm adding that to the list of things I'm gonna beat him up for." Flare said seriously and before we could say anything else, we entered the classroom.

* * *

Zara was out for ten whole minutes but Nurse Glee made her stay longer. When we arrived home, the first thing we did was go to her parents' room.

"Zara! Wh-What happened to you!" my Aunt Chi said seeing her battered state. Near her, my Uncle Slice looked alarmed too.

"Sparring; I really took a beating from Spore." Zara answered.

She sat down on their bed and her dad put his hand on her shoulder. "Doesn't that guy know when to take things easy?" he said angrily.

"He said I wasn't your real daughter." Zara said through clenched teeth.

"Oh he is so asking for another beating!" My Uncle Slice punched his hand.

"Sir, ma'am," Flare said. "If you think I'm not gonna let this slide, then you're both wrong. Tomorrow, I will beat Spore and make him pay for everything he's done."

They looked at each other. "You better win." my Aunt Chi said.

"If not, I'll ask Shade to dock your salary." my Uncle Slice said.

Flare nodded and left. "You sure you'll be alright Zara?" I asked.

"I'm alright...I'm fine." she said and I left the room.

* * *

I spent the night worrying about Flare and his fight tomorrow and what kind of injuries he might get. Broken ribs, severe cuts, bruises, with Spore, anything's possible. After seeing what he did to Slick and Zara, I bet he'll do even worse to Flare.

I don't want Flare to get hurt. Despite what he said, I'm still willing to give myself up to Spore for Flare's welfare.

I tossed and turned trying to sleep but horrible images of what might happen tomorrow began to pour into my head.

* * *

Flare didn't need to wake me up that morning; I woke up on my own. When he opened the door, I spoke immediately.

"Flare."

"Wow, you're up early." he said.

I didn't want to have a pleasant talk so I went straight to the point. "Flare listen, I-"

"No Shana. I want to do this." he said already knowing what I was going to say. "I told you; I'm your friend and your guard-"

"Well them maybe I don't want you to be my friend!" I ended up shouting. As much as I didn't want him to get hurt, I ended up getting angry at him. "I don't want anyone hurting themselves just for my sake! And if I have to beg my dad to fire you to avoid the fight, I'll do it!"

I was panting as if I was fighting; Flare didn't seem angry at all. I didn't know who I was angry at even more, Spore for threatening me, or Flare for throwing himself away for my sake.

"Look, Shana-"

"No, you look Flare! How d'you think I felt when I saw Slick beaten or Zara insulted? Knowing Spore, he'll do 10 times worse to you what he did to them! You said that it's because your my friend, you won't let me be harmed, but I, as _your_ friend, won't let you be harmed!"

"A few moments ago, you said you didn't want to be my friend anymore!" Flare countered; we were both shouting now.

"I meant that as your friend, I want to protect you by making you not_ my_ friend!" I yelled back.

"That's really messed up y'know." he said shaking his head and I had to resist the urge to growl at him.

"Well what about me as your guard!" he began. "Keeping you safe is a responsibility I took! I made a promise; I swore in front of your parents that I would protect you at all costs! I have to protect you and keep you safe from any harm despite the fact that I'm a re-"

But he suddenly stopped himself mid-sentence and hastily covered his mouth. "That you're a what?" I asked.

He uncovered his mouth and thought for a while. "That I'm a really bad friend in your eyes. You can't change my mind Shana. Whether you deny me as your friend or get me fired, I don't care; I will fight and defend you from Spore!"

Silence occurred between us as we took in each others words. Before Flare or I could say anything else, the door opened and Zara poked her head in. "Hey guys, it's time for breakfast." And we had no choice but to leave.

* * *

I'd been to the park with my parents before when I was a kid but those times, it was for fun and family bonding. Because of the stress and priorities of high school, I hadn't been there for about a year. When I left that time, I had no idea that the next time I would go there, I would end up seeing my friend get hurt.

When Flare and I arrived, we found in the middle of the park a large ring of Pokemon who seemed to have come from school. Knowing Spore, he would've told the whole school about this fight.

"Shana! Flare!" Slick yelled as he ran up to Flare, Zara and me.

His shout caught the attention of the Pokemon that formed the ring. "Well it looks like you're here!" The ring parted revealing Spore standing in the middle.

I tensed up as Flare began walking over there. "Flare," Zara began. "As much as possible, watch out for his kicks. Spore's Mach Punches are really strong but his kicks are even worse. Trust me, I speak from experience."

Flare nodded and started to walk away. "Flare!" I ended up yelling.

He looked back at me but I didn't know what to say- Good luck? Be careful? This is stupid? You don't have to do this? But I was too late; he was already entering the circle. Terrified, the three of us joined in the circle just as it closed when Flare entered it.

"Alright, you know how this ends." Spore told him. "If you win, which I so doubt, I won't bother any of you for a whole week. If I win, well...Let's just say that after I make you scream, I'm gonna make Shana scream too."

"I know the terms of the fight Spore." Flare said taking a battle stance.

Spore took one too. "It's showtime; it's all about you and me now."

Flare glared at him angrily before speaking loud enough for everyone to hear him. "You're wrong Spore."

"Huh?" Spore said and then Flare took a very serious tone.

"You hurt Slick..."

"You insulted Zara..."

"You threatened Shana..."

"This isn't about me Spore; I'm not doing this for me...This is for them..."

He lunged forward. "THIS IS FOR MY FRIENDS!"


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10  
**FLARE'S POV**

"THIS IS FOR MY FRIENDS!"

I lunged at Spore using Quick Attack but he side-stepped to avoid it; I heard him laugh when I passed him. I landed and went in for another Quick Attack; this time, he used Mach Punch to counter my attack. His fist hit my head and we were both knocked back a few feet.

We stood there panting at each other; he seemed to be doing what I was, using our first attacks to determine the others strength. His Mach Punch did hurt a bit but I knew Spore was hurt by my Quick Attack too. I didn't underestimate him and I knew that he didn't underestimate me either.

This was going to be one hell of a fight.

Spore fired numerous Seed Bombs and I countered with Flamethrower. After the ensuing explosion, Spore came charging in through the smoke. I went in with Quick Attack and Spore pulled his leg back; I knew he was going to aim a kick at me and ,remembering Zara's advice, used my speed to dodge the kick.

I ended up behind Spore but he amazingly did a back flip and, in mid air, grabbed my head. I was forcefully pulled up and when Spore landed, he twisted my body and and slammed me painfully face up on the ground.

As the air in my lungs were knocked out, the Pokemon watching gave a cry of triumph and began cheering for Spore; I guessed I was the underdog here or fox in this case. I didn't hear any of my friend but I saw Shana looking into my eyes fearfully with Slick and Zara looking grave. I wanted to yell something to them but I noticed Spore pull his fist back for a Mach Punch.

I rolled out of the way before he could smash his fist into me and used Heat Wave; the force of my attack knocked Spore off his feet and knocked him several feet away. The crowd gave another outcry but all of them, except my friends, were still rooting for Spore.

Spore got up and spat to his side. "Alright, I'll admit that was good. But I'm better."

He launched more Seed Bombs which didn't even hit me but they exploded forcing me to stay put. Spore ran in to kick me but I dodged it and went behind him. I used Flamethrower but he ducked and did a leg sweep. I dodged it by jumping but mid air, I couldn't dodge the Mach Punch aimed at me.

I got hit in the forehead but landed on my feet. Spore didn't hesitate and charged right in with Mach Punch. I dodged it but he followed it up with a kick to the side of my head. Zara wasn't kidding; I felt like I was hit by a small meteor from space or something. Luckily, I didn't faint but there was serious pain in my head.

I was knocked away and staggered to my feet. I had a hard time focusing and it looked like there were three Spores charging at me. Not knowing which one was real, I used Heat Wave which fortunately hit the real Spore and knocked him back.

My focus was regain as I say Spore stand up; to be able to take all of my attacks directly and still have the strength to continue meant that he was a really good fighter. I almost thought that he was part of the rebels; there rarely were any Pokemon that strong who aren't rebels but I was positive he wasn't one.

He ran sideways without even attacking. I inhaled to launch Flamethrower but then he stopped running and smirked at me. Looking at his, I realized his plan; Shana was right behind him and if I attacked, he would dodge and she would get hit.

Furious, I closed my mouth. How dare he use Shana against me! To him, she was just someone he could use in any way he wanted and then discard her when she wasn't needed anymore! A damn freak like him shouldn't be anywhere near her!

Spore fired Seed Bombs at me and I was forced to dodge it. I had to beat him now before he uses anyone else as a shield. I headed right for him with Quick Attack but before I could hit him, he used Mach Punch to deliver a solid uppercut to my jaw.

I was knocked high into the air unable to dodge or do anything. As the crowd below cheered, Spore jumped up to my level.

"I win."

He kicked me right in the stomach and I felt my lungs empty themselves of air again. I crashed and skidded several feet before coming to a stop. I lay there broken and beaten with my eyes closed; my whole body ached and I could barely stay conscious, let alone get back up.

Then I heard Spore laugh evilly and heard him walk towards me. But then I heard more footsteps, hurried ones, which came to stop between Spore and I.

"Spore, that's enough. Please just stop this." I heard Shana beg.

I wanted to get up, to tell her to get away before Spore does anything to bad to her but me beaten state didn't allow me to do that.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." I heard Spore say. "Now that I've won...why don't we celebrate my victory at my house?"

I opened my eyes slightly to see Spore's filthy hand on Shana's cheek. My breathing rate increased and my rage intensified; I wanted to shout or get up and continue fighting but again, I just didn't have the strength.

"We're gonna have so much fun together." Spore said maliciously.

"Do whatever you want to me; just leave Flare alone." Shana said seriously.

Spore agreed and two of them began to walk off, his hand rubbing her back. As they walked, the crowd parted and I heard Spore say to Shana:

"Hey listen, since I can do anything I want with you, you mind if I invite a few friends with me?"

"Fine. How many?" Shana asked.

"Oh...about five maybe six. We all just wanna have some fun."

Fun? Fun by violating and defiling her! Fun by just using her for your own personal desires! Shana is not someone's plaything that they can use anytime they want!

I felt something in my head snap and I was consumed by an uncontrollably corrosive rage. All logic, all reason, all doubts were gone and replaced by the uncontrollable urge to inflict as much pain to Spore as I can.

I screamed as hard as I could and everyone including Spore and Shana turned to me. The former smirked and said: "I'll get back to you Shana; I just have to-"

I didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence. Despite the fact that my body seemed to scream in pain, I got up and used Quick Attack on his stomach; it was his turn to feel the air knocked out of him. I wasn't done with him; as Shana ran to the side, I kicked off Spore and landed a few feet from him. Before he could retaliate, I used Quick Attack again, jumped off him and repeated.

I remembered that this was the same tactic I used during my match with Scuttle. Only this time, I did this about twenty times. After the twentieth, instead of kicking back, I jumped onto Spore's shoulders and launched myself several feet into the air. I did a twist and pointed my body downwards; I fell down head first with Quick Attack with gravity to help me add power.

"SPOOOOORE!" I spun in mid air unleashing a Flamethrower in the process. Spore crossed his arms over his head but was no match for the funnel of flames that descended on him. I kept this up for several seconds until I was close enough to him; when that happened, I stopped my Flamethrower and smashed my head on his.

I jumped off from him and stood by to look at what happened was doing. Spore was swaying from side to side, his eyes disoriented and confused until he collapsed completely and fainted.

No one made a sound in the area. I won but I wasn't done yet. Turning to the crowd, I shouted: "NOW WHICH AMONG YOU ARE THE SIX FRIENDS HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!"

The whole crowd panicked and ran away leaving me, Shana, Zara, Slick and the unconscious Spore behind. My rage now gone, I felt my knees buckle and collapsed to the ground. I heard my friends run up to me.

"Flare!" Shana exclaimed. I had the strength to look up to her and smile but then a new sensation filled me. A pain that seemed to spread from my head to the rest of my already weakened body. I felt even weaker now and started moaning in pain.

"What's happening?" Shana asked concerned.

Slick examined me for a while. "It's Poison status; Spore ability must've activated during that last assault."

I groaned again and Shana held my face in her paws and started slapping my cheek slightly to keep me awake. Then my body started to shudder from the Poison's effect."Flare...Flare, look at me; you're going to be fine Flare."

"No..." I said slowly. "You're fine Shana...that's all that matters."

And then I stopped shuddering and fainted, my head still in Shana's paws.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11  
**SHANA'S POV**

"One...two...three...heave!"

With our combined efforts, Slick, Zara and I heaved Flare's unconscious body onto his bed. He hasn't said a thing since we began carrying him from the park to his room. He was still a wreck; his fur was dirty and the bruises on him couldn't be counted.

"Zara, get my mom and dad. Slick, there's a supple closet four doors to the left from this room; could you get some medicines there please?"

Both my friends nodded wordlessly and left leaving me alone with Flare. Looking at him in more detail, I saw that he was worse than I thought. Spore really wrecked him but at least we don't have to worry about him for a week. I fixed him up properly making sure he would be comfortable and then waited.

Zara, Slick and my parents arrived at the same time. Slick handed me the supply box and after rummaging through it, I found what I was looking for: the green, foul smelling leaves of the Revival Herb.

"Now Flare, this is gonna taste horrible but it'll wake you right up." I said placing the herb in his mouth. I made him close his mouth and chew and after about three seconds, he suddenly sat up straight and spat the herb out.

"W-Wa-er! Wa-er!" he yelled. I fetched him a glass of water and he drank it quickly, drowning out the bitterness of the herb. I only took a herb once in my life and I did not want to do it again.

"How're you feeling Flare?" my mom asked.

He seemed to feel pain again as he lay back down. "Everything hurts; even breathing is unusually painful." he moaned.

"Well at least you're alive." I said. "Knowing Spore, I thought you'd be worse."

Flare nodded and then looked at my dad. "Does my contract cover injuries like this?"

"It does; don't worry Flare; we'll make sure you recover." my dad said reassuringly. "Oh, and we're writing to your parents; they'll probably be worried sick about you."

For a split second, I thought I saw Flare's eyes widen in horror but then he smiled and said: "That's alright."

My dad nodded and left the room with my mom. Before the door could close, my Uncle Slice showed up and entered the room. "Hey guys, I heard what happened. How's Flare doing?"

"He's pretty bad but at least he'll live." Zara answered. Her dad then frowned but that was probably because he noticed that Slick was within ten feet of his daughter.

"Hi there sir." Slick said with a respectful nod that didn't wipe the frown off of my Uncle Slice's face. The latter went over to Flare.

"So Flare, d'you give Spore a good beating?" he asked.

Flare gave a weak smile. "Yeah; he won't be bothering us for a week."

My Uncle Slice smiled back. "Now Zara, let's go have a little chat about a couple of things." Busted.

"But daaad." Zara said.

"No buts Blizzara now march yours to our room."

Zara sighed and told Flare to take it easy before leaving the room with her dad. Slick said that he had to go to and then he left leaving Flare and I alone.

"What's the deal with those guys?" Flare asked.

"Well as you can see, Zara want to be Slick's girlfriend but her parent's, for completely unknown reasons, don't like Slick." I explained. "They don't completely hate him but they don't like him either."

"When did this all start?"

"Oh they first met around our first year in high school. I guess you could call it love at first sight." I gave a deep sigh. "It was really sweet."

Flare got up to say something but then he groaned in pain and had to lie back down. "Hang on Flare, I'll fix you up."

I dug through the supply box until I found some bandages and disinfectant. He winced when I applied the latter but allowed me to wrap a bandage around his chest.

"Look Flare," I said disinfecting his front left paw. "I'm sorry OK."

"Ow! Easy with the disinfectant. Sorry for what?" he asked.

I finished bandaging his paw and sighed. "I'm sorry I got you hurt; I mean...look before you said that you'd accept Spore challenge, I was going to tell you to accept it. I was going to selfishly let you defend me and-"

"Shana." Flare said interrupting me. "D'you honestly think it would've made a difference if you told me to fight or if I decided it myself? It doesn't; either way, I still would've fought Spore and protected you from him."

"Yeah but...you're hurt." I looked up and down his beaten body.

Flare did the same. "Spore would've done worse to you."

He had a point but I didn't want to say it out loud. "And I'm sorry about...y'know...this morning..." I said.

"No no no. I did some shouting too. I'll accept your apology if you accept mine."

"Done." I said nodding my head. "Listen Flare, you should get some sleep. I know it's still early but you've had a rough day."

"Yeah maybe your right." Flare said. I hopped of his bed and made my way to the door.

"Flare..." I said looking back at him.

"Yeah?"

But for some reason, I didn't know what to say anymore; it was like the second I heard his voice all other thoughts vanished from my mind. Completely speechless, I said the first thing that came into my mind.

"I'm really glad to have someone like you Flare."

And then I turned and left the room quickly before he could notice the blush that had somehow crept onto my face.

* * *

Flare recovered quickly; by the next morning, he was already strong enough to get up and walk without any pain. After he woke me up, I helped him remove his bandages and he was as good as new.

When we arrived at breakfast, Zara coughed loudly so Flare's and my attention was turned to her. While the others at the table were busy, Flare and I saw her mouth the words: "Just play along."

"So Flare, feeling better?" my dad asked as we sat down.

"Definitely sir. Nothing hurts anymore."

"Well that's good to hear." my dad said with a smile.

Zara coughed loudly again. "So mom, I heard there's this new restaurant that opened up at the mall yesterday. Mind if we go check it out?"

Flare and I looked surprised at her but luckily, my Aunt Chi didn't notice. "Very well Zara just remember our little talk last night."

"Sure mom; I will." Zara rolled her eyes when her mom turned away.

After breakfast, Flare and I consulted her. "Zara what's this about?" Flare asked.

"Um...Remember yesterday when my dad wanted a talk?" she began; we both nodded. "Well my mom joined in and they lectured me on Slick."

She gave an annoyed sigh. "It's the usual stuff most parents say to their kids. They said that I'm still young and it's too early for me to get into a serious relationship and blah blah blah blah... To sum it all up, they said I should chose carefully who I want to be with in the future."

"And did you say anything about that?" I asked.

"Yeah; I told them that there's no one else like Slick in the world. He's cute and sweet and nice and caring; he's perfect for me! But they still didn't want him and I to be a couple so I'm getting back at them."

"And why d'you have to get us involved?" Flare asked.

Zara smiled. "All part of the plan. See, even thought that new restaurant's open, we're not going to it. I'm going on my first, that's right, first date with Slick. I knew that if my parents saw that I would be going out, they'd figure it out but if the three of us go together, they won't get suspicious or anything."

"So wait," Flare said trying to figure this out. "You're using Shana and I as a cover up for your date with Slick?"

"Yup; that's basically it." Zara answered simply.

Flare shook his head. "You're a sly cunning weasel Zara."

"Yeah well, I'm Slick's sly cunning weasel. C'mon, let's go."

We left home and found Slick, who already knew of the plan, at the mall entrance. As soon as he and Zara were close enough, they held hands and walked away.

"Wait, what about us!" I called after them.

Zara turned around. "Oh you two just...hang out together; we meet up with you guys after a few hours. See you at four!"

And then she and Slick were gone. Turning to Flare I said: "Great, now it looks like we're dating."

My statement made both of us blush for some reason. There was a long silence between us.

"So...wanna go around a bit?" Flare asked me.

"Huh?...Oh yeah...Sure." I answered.

Flare nodded and the two of us set off together, a very awkward silence between us.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12  
**FLARE'S POV**

Wow. This was very awkward. Just me and Shana. Alone. At the mall. For...four hours. I myself didn't actually know where we were going or exactly what we were going to do.

"So...what do you wanna do Shana?" I asked her.

"I dunno." she replied. "I know; I'll show you around a bit since you're still a little new here."

That sounded like a plan. So Shana and I went around and explored the upper floors of the mall which I haven't seen yet. There were a few shops that we stopped by; Shana even asked me if this clip looked well on her.

"Uh, yeah. It looks great I guess." I answered scratching the back of my head.

She sighed and put the clip back. "Y'know, Zara sometimes wishes she had fur like me."

"Why's that?" I asked curiously.

"She likes the way you can brush it and style it the way you want. She can't really do that."

"But doesn't she have that...feather...thing on her head?"

"Yeah but she can't style it the way you can fur."

I nodded my head agreeing with her. Leaving the shop, we decided to take a break from all this walking. We found this doughnut shop and decided to eat there for a while.

"So what'll you have?" said the Persian cashier who was filling her claws.

"Uh, I'll take the one with the Razz Berry filling." Shana answered.

"And I'll have the chocolate one with the Oran Berry cream on top." I ordered.

The cashier rolled her eyes and handed us our doughnuts; I hoped she didn't get any of her nail filings on them. There was a long bench nearby so Shana and I decided to eat there.

"So Flare, how d'you think Spore's doing right now?" Shana asked with a mouth full of doughnut.

"Considering the state I left him in, he'll need more rest than I did." I answered while eating. "He could still be out cold right now."

"Well at least he won't bother us for a week." Shana said gratefully.

"And when that week's over and he tries to Harris you again, he'd better watch out." I said seriously.

Shana shook her head. "Knowing him, he won't give up." Together, we finished the last of our doughnuts. "So where to now?"

"We've been to every floor." I said.

Shana for some reason had a sly grin on her face. "Not all of them; c'mon, let's go." She stood up.

"Where to?" I asked.

She smiled right at me. "1st floor. more specifically..."

Later...

The ice rink.

"Oh no. There's no way you're getting me on that again." I said not forgetting my past experience with this place.

"All right; I can respect that." Shana said with a nod.

"Really?"

"Hmm...No."

Without warning, she shoved me right onto the ice laughing playfully. Once again, I began to panic; my legs scrambled all over the ice in a desperate attempt to stop.

Shana skated gracefully next to me. "We've got around 2 hours Flare so I'm teaching you to skate whether you like it or not." Considering my current situation, I would like it. "Questions?"

"How do you stop!" I yelled out as a wall approached.

She sighed and then took my paw to steer me out of the way. "That was close; you should be more careful Flare."

"Um, thanks Shana. You can let go now." She suddenly realized that she was still holding my paw.

"I-I'm sorry." She hastily took it back. "Wait, what was I gonna do?"

"You were going to teach me to stop."

"Oh, that's simple. To stop, all you need to do is-"

BAM!

Both of us were too busy talking to notice that the wall was coming up before us. Too late to swerve away, we both smacked nose first into the wooden wall around teh rink. Slowly, Shana and I fell backwards onto the cold ice.

"Ugh...First rule of ice skating: watch where you're going." she told me from the ground.

"G-got it."

Despite that minor setback, Shana was able to formally teach me how to skate. My skills were...decent. Well, decent enough for a beginner at least. Shana was an excellent teacher showing my how to turn and most importantly, how to stop. After two hours of lessons, I managed to skate very well on my own.

"That was fun." I said as we left the ice. Looking at a nearby clock, we saw that it was time to meet up with Zara and Slick. When we got back to the entrance, Shana and I stopped at what we saw.

Slick was leaning on the wall while Zara was kissing him passionately , their hands on each others backs. Shana and I felt so uncomfortable because we could hear them make out from ten feet away. We stood there staring for about a minute before taking action. Wanting to alert or presence to them, Shana coughed loudly.

Zara broke away from Slick. "Oh, you two just got here?"

"Yes." we both lied not wanting them to know that we were watching.

"You two looked like you were having fun." I mentioned.

"We did." Slick answered, his paw around Zara's waist. "Did you two enjoy your date?"

Shana shrugged her shoulders. "Well it was pretty O-"

Wait a minute.

"It wasn't a date!" Shana and I said at the same time.

They both laughed a bit. "Well, if you say so." Slick said.

"So what? Are we going home now?" I asked.

"Yeah and remember, if anyone asks, we went to that new restaurant." Zara said.

"Sure, whatever you say Zara." Shana said rolling her eyes.

Zara nodded and then faced Slick. "Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow at school then."

He smirked. "Wanna make out again?"

I heard it as a question but Zara did as an observation. "Sure."

Then they started kissing audibly again. Shana and I felt uncomfortable again; we both turned our backs to them and waited for a few minutes.

"Alright, that enough." Shana said as we pried Zara from Slick and proceeded to drag her home.

"Bye Slick; we'll go out again some other time!"

Slick smirked and walked away as we continued dragging Zara back home.


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry this chapter took so long. The site kept getting an error whenever I try updating but it seems to be OK now.

* * *

CHAPTER 13  
**SHANA'S POV**

Just so we're clear, what Flare and I had yesterday was _not_ a date as Zara and Slick thought. I mean, yeah I did enjoy that time with him and yeah I did have fun teaching how to skate but that was it.

Flare's my good friend and my guard that's all. Even if you put the latter aside, he'd still want to watch out for me; that's what friends do. We're just friends...

Just friends...

Friends...

...

But why does within me seem to want more?

* * *

At school the next day (Ugh, don't you just hate Mondays?), everyone was talking about Flare and his fight with Spore; it spread surprisingly fast. Random Pokemon from across the school congratulated him for defeating Spore who they described as a cruel evil bully. Flare just kept scratching his head nervously as praises were heaped on him.

But the best part was that, for the first time in my high school life, there was no mob to chase us when we arrived.

"Wow, I'm suddenly the most popular guy in school." Flare said after he turned down two Raticate who asked for his autograph.

"I dunno Flare; it seems like a good idea to me." Slick said. "Think about it; I'll be your manager and we'll both be filthy rich." Slick held out his paw. "I'll be taking my first salary now."

"OK one, I didn't agree to anything you said; and two, I haven't even received _my _first salary yet." Flare replied.

"Oh yeah; you should totally treat us out when you get your first pay." Zara added.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind; we could actually go to that new restaurant that opened." Flare said and the four of us laughed.

Just then, we passed by this Froslass and her Mawhile friend. Upon seeing Flare, they started giggling and whispering excitedly to each other. As we passed then, the Mawhile winked at Flare.

"Flare, you've suddenly gone popular with the girls lately." Slick said with a smirk.

"Well isn't that ironic." I added. "I'm the most sought after girl in the whole school and now you're the most sought after guy in the school Flare." I smiled satisfyingly to hide the strange feeling I got when I heard that Flare was popular with other girls.

He smiled and said: "Yeah; now it makes me wonder what Zara and Slick will be know for."

The two of us shared a laugh while Zara and Slick stared at us; for the first time, they were the subject of a joke.

Kid were still talking about Flare when we arrived at our class room. To our surprise, Spore stepped in looking all healed up from his fight. The whole class went silent as he and Flare glared at each other; I could've sworn there were sparks flying between those two. Spore doesn't seemed to have forgiven Flare for beating him.

And then Coach Aurora's whistle interrupted the silence and I remembered that we had gym on Mondays too. Coach Aurora called us into the gym. After that, she announced that we were still going to do some sparring today, making me realize that this was her favorite sport.

"Flare!" Coach Aurora suddenly yelled out.

"Y-yes ma'am!" he replied.

"I heard about what happened over the weekend." The look on Spore's face was priceless. "You'll be in our opening match."

Flare nodded and stepped in; Coach Aurora turned to the rest of us. "Philia, you're up!"

Philia, a Delcatty, stepped up with Flare. I've heard about her; she's one of the toughest girls in school even though I've never actually seen her fight. I guess now was a good time.

"Begin!"

Flare launched a Flamethrower right off the bat but Philia winked at him before jumping right out of the way. Flare switched to Heat Wave which was also dodged by Philia. It seemed almost like a playful game of tag to her or something.

"Aw c'mon, you can do better than that!" Philia yelled out playfully. She gave Flare a wink and he looked confused for a moment before rushing in with Quick Attack.

Wait...Quick Attack?

...

Oh crap!

"Flare no!" I yelled out but it was already too late; Philia didn't even dodge and even looked happy as Flare struck her with his attack. As she was knocked back, she recovered; Flare pulled back for another attack but the, he suddenly stopped, a look of shock on his face.

"Uh oh, this isn't good." Slick said crossing his arms. I silently agreed with him.

Flare's eyes widened, his face was so red I thought he was actually bleeding, his legs were shaking like a leaf (Or leaves in this case), his breath made me think that he was going to throw up or run away or something. Despite all these things, Philia looked pleased with herself and slowly walked towards him.

Soon she was face to face with him; hers had a smile and his looked like he wanted to run away but wanted to stay exactly where he was at the same time. Slowly, Philia leaned her mouth to his ear and opened it as if she was going to whisper something but then she smacked his cheek with an Iron Tail that sent Flare flying trough the air before crashing to the wall and sliding down. His eyes never left Philia the whole time.

"Flare!" I ran towards him. He was still conscious but Coach Aurora declared him unfit for battle and that Philia was the winner. So that's how she wins, by charming her opponents into submission!

Kinda makes me wonder how she beats female opponents.

"Flare, you alright?" I asked as he got up. He was slightly shaky and kept his eyes on Philia all the time.

Zara and Slick ran over to check on him. "Yup; that's the Cute Charm ability all right." Slick observed. "He's totally crazy for her now."

"Well we have to do something!" I pointed out.

"Let's just take him to nurse Glee; she should have some Mental Herbs for him." Zara said.

"W-wait, where're we going?" Flare asked apparently not wanting to get Philia out of his sight.

"To fix you up." I replied. We got permission from Coach Aurora to head to the infirmary and did so despite Flare's many attempts to see Philia again.

Flare however accompanied us without hesitation on the way to the infirmary. "Damn it, I can't get her out of my head; I can't think straight!" he cried out.

"It's alright Flare; just one Mental Herb from Nurse Glee and you'll be back to normal." I said reassuringly.

"Oh...OK." Flare said reluctantly.

"You're sure in a hurry Shana. You sure you're not jealous?" Zara asked with a snicker.

"What? I am not jealous; I just want Flare to get fixed up that's all." I said crossly. Unfortunately, she didn't look too convinced.

* * *

Things got worse when we arrived at the clinic.

"What? What do you mean you're out of Mental Herbs?" I asked when Nurse Glee told me that she was out of them.

"Exactly that." Nurse Glee said holding up and empty box. "Don't worry about it; I'll have a fresh batch by tomorrow and Flare will be fine. Until then," She jerked her head in Flare's direction. "Just make sure he doesn't do something stupid or rash."

"Great, of all the rotten luck." I said frustratingly as we left the clinic. I turned to Zara. "You think there're some Mental Herbs back home?"

"Maybe. I dunno maybe we should ask our parents." Zara replied. "Until then, we should keep an eye on Flare."

Then we arrived back at the class room where we realized with a jolt that Philia was seated to the right of Flare's seat. He leaned over to us and said: "Guys, if I ever do something stupid or if I even look like I'm about to, could you please hit me as hard as you can?"

"Sure." we all replied.

Class resumed and the three of us kept an eye on Flare who kept his eyes on Philia who seemed to be smiling at the attention she was getting from him. Flare, who alike me always take notes here in class, seemed to be trying his best to stay focused on the teacher but every now and then, he would sneak glances at Philia.

Then, without warning, Philia wrote something down on a piece of paper, folded it and handed it to Flare; the teacher, Ms. Arachne, didn't notice a thing. Flare reluctantly received it and opened it up. Zara, Slick and I leaned over and saw the penciled words: "Wanna go out?"

Flare looked startled at these words. And then, his paw moved towards his pencil and began writing; the second he wrote the letter Y, my body moved on its own.

I "accidentally" dropped my pencil so I that I could have an excuse to get up. Ms. Arachne was too busy writing something on the board and everyone else was asleep. I got down, sneaked as close to Flare as I could and then punched the back of his head with all my strength.

Flare gasped out in pain and I got down again to get my pencil. "Is everything alright Flare?" Ms. Arachne said as most of the class woke up and looked in Flare's direction.

"N-Nothing. I'm fine." Flare replied rubbing the back of his head. I got back to my seat quickly before anyone else would notice.

Flare's mind seemed to straighten a little; looking back at the paper Philia gave him, he crossed out what he had previously written and wrote: "No." before giving it back to Philia. She looked disappointed as she read Flare's reply. Flare then leaned towards me and whispered: "Thanks."

I nodded in reply but I felt weird about what I just did. I realized that I was acting without thinking at all, that I completely forgot about what I promised Flare. Even if he hadn't made us promise, I still would've hit him before he could go out with Philia.

* * *

"Uh...is he OK?" my Uncle Slice said clearly noticing Flare's condition which seemed to worsen now that Philia was gone.

"He's alright dad; he's just been affected by Cute Charm that's all." Zara replied.

"First he's been beaten, then he's been charmed, what'll happen to you next Flare." My Uncle Slice sighed.

"Hey mom, do we have some Mental Herbs here? There weren't any at school." I asked.

"I think so; hang on, I'll go check." my mom left before leaving my dad's office.

"So did you do something stupid Flare?" my dad asked.

"I almost did sir." Flare replied. "If it hadn't been for Shana, I would have."

My dad looked at me and I turned my eyes away. My mom then arrived. "Good news, we have one right here."

She showed us the Mental Herb in her palm. I took it and gave it to Flare who swallowed it in after chewing it a little. As we all watched, his blush vanished, his eyes became more focused and his legs stopped shaking.

"It worked! Philia's out of my head!" he cried out happily.

"Well that's a relief." I said with a sigh.

"Yup." Zara added. "Now you'll be the only one on his mind Shana."

"Zara!" Flare and I yelled at the same time.

"What? She's right." my dad said unexpectedly and Flare and I turned to him surprised. "Of course. You're her guard Flare; it's only natural that she should always be on your mind."

"Oh...right." Flare said shyly. I drew back slightly. "Um...I'll be in my room."

And then Flare left us. But for some reason, I felt unusually lonely when he was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

Hey everyone, it's my summer vacation so that means two updates a week! Expect the next chapter to be up sooner.

* * *

CHAPTER 14  
**FLARE'S POV**

I woke up to the sound of heavy rain. Looking outside the window, I saw a steady rain falling on the city; not to light to be a drizzle but not too strong to be a full blown storm. It was rather chilly, colder than a regular morning, and I hoped we had something warm for breakfast.

I got out of my room and made my way to Shana's; I could still hear the rain pouring outside. I made it to Shana's room and opened it and was surprised to see Shana sitting on the bed, her back facing from me.

"Wow. You're up early." I commented as I walked closer.

I heard the sound of scissors cutting paper; Shana was cutting a picture out of a book. Her bed was scattered with bits of cut paper and old books. "What's all this for?" I asked.

"It for that project we have for school in two days; I'm getting started on it in advance." she answered putting the scissors down and examining her project. I hoped on her bad and looked at i from over her shoulder. It was basically a collage filled with happy Pokemon doing everyday activities.

"It's my vision of how I want the nation to look in twenty years. Highly cliched project but hey, at least it give you grades." she said to me.

I suddenly remembered that I haven't gotten started on my project yet. "So Flare, you like it?"

I examined the happy faces of the Pokemon on the collage again. "It's good Shana; it's a really good dream. But..."

"Too bad you won't be around to see it."

"Huh?" she asked curiously.

With absolutely no hesitation at all, I grabbed the scissors and stabbed her right in the neck.

* * *

I woke up with a scream loud enough to wake up the whole house. I was sweating like crazy, my paws were shaking and I was taking deep gasping breath to calm myself down. It was a dream. It was just a dream.

A dream that would have to come true one day...

I was wasting time; I was neglecting what had to be done. This was my mission and I have to do my best to succeed.

I have to kill Shana.

Forget Shade and Shine, I had a feeling Dart would want to do that himself. My only focus was Shana. I've been putting this off for too long and it has to be done.

Unlike my dream, it was dark but not raining since it was still early in the morning. I was still agitated from the dream and hurriedly got up and and left my room.

I hesitated at the door to her room and put off opening it for several seconds. I was afraid of what I would see behind it; would it be her doing her project, which I really didn't get started on yet, like in my dream?

With all the courage I could muster, I opened the door and found Shana sleeping away not knowing the troubles I've been through earlier. For some reason, I felt so relieved to see her alive. I didn't think we could uphold our friendship much longer. She was going to have to die by my paw.

But now wasn't the right time to kill her. I woke her and put on a fake expression that made her think nothing was wrong. It worked and we were on our way to breakfast.

Shade and the others talked casually not knowing that I was planning the death of his daughter. As for the death itself, what do I do?

1st Option: Induce poison into Shana's food.

No. I'd need to get back to the rebel headquarters to get that and I would have to think of an excuse for Shade.

2nd Option: Burn her to death when she's asleep.

No not that either. Her family would notice the burn marks and know that it was me and confront me at once. I had to leave immediately after I killed her.

3rd Option: Just plain strangling her when we're alone.

No. That wouldn't work either. Shana's tough and she'd probably fight me off and run.

Argh! Why the hell is killing someone so tough? The rest of the rebels make it look so easy.

"Flare, you alright?" Shana asked probably noticing that my mind was preoccupied with thought on how to kill her.

"I'm fine Shana. No need to worry." I replied. I thought I convinced her even though she should do the opposite of what I just said.

* * *

What Shade said yesterday was correct; right now, Shana's the only one on my mind. If only it wasn't about killing her!

As we walked to school, I couldn't help but think why I was doing this. She's my first friend! I can't believe I have to kill her! But it had to be done for the rebels to succeed.

Their success was inevitable; no matter how I looked at it, Shade and all the forces at his side have no chance against the sheer number and power of the rebels. One all out invasion and Shade and his whole family would be gone leaving the nation to the mercy of the rebels.

That leaves my mission to kill Shana. Dart thinks that Shade would ended up dying to protect his daughter so I was sent in as a reassurance to make sure that when Shade's gone, no one can stop Dart from ruling the nation.

My "parents" told me since childhood that this was a good thing but I thought otherwise. And I'm not strong enough to oppose Dart do I just follow him without question.

I was surprised to find myself in school; my mind was so occupied that I missed the whole trip. When we arrived at the classroom, I noticed that Philia seemed to be giving my a cold shoulder; I still can't believe that I was attracted to her yesterday. Shana though seemed to like the way Philia was treating me.

Class went by and before I knew it, it was already recess. I grabbed a tray and some food and sat down to eat. I did slow slowly and sadly which got Shana's attention.

"Flare, you seem really down today. Something wrong?" she asked me worriedly.

"It's nothing Shana. I'm fine." I replied looking back at her.

She seemed to consider my answer for a few seconds before replying. "Y'know Flare, if there's anything, anything at all, you want to tell me or Zara or Slick, just say so and we'll promise that we'll listen and help you out as much as we can."

"Anything?" I asked.

"Anything." Shana gave me a reassuring nod. "You shouldn't give up on your friends Flare."

As she turned back to her meal, I felt as though a great weight had been lifted from my chest. For one split second, I was considering breaking down and confessing my part of the rebels and letting them do what they want with me but I had a different plan.

I wasn't going to give up on them that easily, especially Shana. I still might kill her but not right now. I wasn't going to tell them who I really am either and I would stick to my vow to protect Shana...for now. But friendship can be broken and promise to protect her can never last a very long time; I wanted some other reason to protect her, a third reason that can never be denied no matter what.

Until I can find that third reason, I would still have to go over on how to kill Shana.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15  
**SHANA'S POV**

Ding-dong-ding dong! Ding-dong-ding-dong!

In the middle of recess, the sound system activated and we all froze to listen. "Attention all students, this is Principle Marshal speaking. I'm just here to tell you all that the school fair starts in just three months."

"The school fair? Shana, Slick, this's our last school fair." Zara pointed out.

"It's my first and my last." Flare added. Zara shushed him and continued listening.

"For new students, the school fare is a three day event ending with a grand ball on the third night." The excited talking increased. "Each class and club will have to have a booth or stall or any sort of attraction. But all in all, we just want all of you to have fun. You can spend the next period planing it out with your class and the one after that with your clubs. I know it's early but that's the best time to get started."

The broadcast ended and the student began talking excitedly to each other. I turned to my friends. "Since this's our last school fair. let's enjoy it."

"And since it's Flare's first," Slick placed an arm around Flare. "Let's make sure he doesn't forget it either."

The bell signaling the end of recess sounded and we made our way to our classroom, everyone still talking about the fair. We arrived and the teacher was wasn't there yet so we still had time to talk.

"Attention everyone!" Philia yelled out. Everyone within the vicinity of her listened. "I just talked to my friends in the Performers Club and we're having a Pokemon Contest on the second day! I think I'll have the sign up sheet in a few days."

"Hey Philia, can we sign up?" Zara asked as the latter sat down.

"Sure, anyone can sign up." Then Philia unexpected turned to Flare. "And will you be joining Flare?" she asked charmingly.

Flare was taken aback a little. "Uh...I still haven't decided yet." he answered his eyes darting around.

"Hmm. Well I hope you do." Philia said with a wink and returned to her seat. I had to cough loudly to get Flare to focus again.

"Now uh, everyone, can I have your attention please." Class President Inchy, a Caterpie, called out stepping up near the black board. "The teachers met with us class Presidents and our class is having...a haunted house!"

"No way! Seriously?" Zara asked.

"That's right Zara." Inchy turned to four Ghost types in our class, two Banette twins, a Haunter, and Duskull. "Mario, Anette, Hal, Cranio, can you four make up illusions that can scare people?"

"We sure can." Hal the Haunter said. "What d'you have in mind?"

"Can you target the greatest fear of anyone before you?" Inchy asked in turn.

"Yeah; you mean we can see everyone's worst fears?" Cranio asked excitedly.

"No. We'll make illusions but for privacy's sake, we won't actually know what those fears are." Anette reassured.

The rest of them groaned. "But Anette..." her brother Mario said. The rest of them seemed annoyed too.

Anette inhaled deeply and glared at them and they cowered. "You got a problem with me?" she said menacingly.

"N-no ma'am." they replied nervously. Anette gave a satisfied grin.

"Uh, OK." Inchy said slowly. "Can you give us a demonstration?"

As the four of them concentrated, the rest of the class went silent. Anyone here could be a target. None of us were safe; none were-

I suddenly screamed as something grabbed my lower left leg. Looking down, I saw a bony hand sticking out of the floor which pulled me out of my seat. I screamed again for help but I then noticed that the classroom was empty. Panicking, more bony hands erupted from the ground and grabbed my legs forcefully.

A part of me knew that this was just an illusion but another part, which was the more dominant one at the moment, couldn't help but accept its reality. I struggle, I screamed, I cried for anyone to help but no one did. I cried out for Flare, begging him to please come to my aid but he still didn't show up.

The hands began pulling me downward and I felt my hind paws go underground. I struggled some more pawing the surface with all my might to get away from what was dragging me from underneath the ground. All the while, I was kicking and screaming and repeated the process over and over and over again as I got deeper underground.

Eventually, I was completely underground; it was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing. But the hands didn't stop and continued to pull me in deeper and deeper. I tried pushing up against the dirt despite the fact that I couldn't breath at all. Panicking I went back to my old process, just kicking and screaming, kicking and screaming, kicking and screaming...

"SHANA! C'MON SHANA, SNAP OUT OF IT!"

With a jolt, I awakened. I was breathing heavily and sweating like crazy. I was not underground; I was back in the classroom and...in Flare's arms. He seemed to have caught me when I fell.

"You alright?" he asked worriedly.

I calmed down slightly and wiped some sweat from my forehead. "I...I'm fine Flare. I'll be alright." I left his arms but a part of me wanted to stay there much longer.

"D'you wanna talk about it?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

"N-No. I told you I'm fine."

I have a fear of going underground. I'm not exactly totally afraid of going underground but the idea of getting pulled there totally against my will...that really scares me. And being buried alive too. Those two things really terrify me.

"Was...Was I screaming Flare?" I asked reluctantly.

"No. You just fell down and I caught you. You were panting and sweating but completely quiet. No one screamed at all."

As I looked around, I saw others who were used by the Ghost types for their "demonstration". Most of the class were on the ground with looks of terror on their faces while those who didn't were trying their best to comfort them.

"I'm in a happy place...I'm in a happy place...I'm in a happy place..."

Slick was sitting on the ground hugging his legs looking close to tears as he rocked back and forth. Zara was next to him gently stroking his back and saying words of comfort to him.

"What happened to him?" I worriedly asked Zara.

She looked at me biting her lip. "I think he saw..._that_ again."

It took me several second to realize what she meant. "Oh my gosh." I said absolutely stunned. "You mean...that thing that happened in our second year? That really traumatizing thing that happened to Slick? _That_'s what he saw?" Zara nodded. Oh my gosh.

"What happened What is _that_?" Flare asked.

I turned to answer him. "Well, you see..."

_Flashback-_

"No! No flashback! It's already too painful as it is!" Slick yelled suddenly before cowering again.

I looked at him with pity. "On second thought Flare, I'll tell you some other time."

"OK. Flare's next!" Cranio suddenly announced. Flare and I looked at each other before his eyes suddenly went blank and fell to the side.

And then he clutched his head in pain and began screaming his head off like he was being tortured or something. I panicked. "Flare! Flare! Can you hear me! Flare!"

He continued to scream his head off. I shook several times but he didn't stop. His scream seemed to reverberate across my body as if I was feeling his pain too. I turned to the Ghost types.

"Stop it! Please, that's enough!" I yelled to them. Anette turned to the rest of them and they stopped. Flare also stopped screaming and lay on his side panting and sweating harder than I was.

"I...I..." Flare said shakily.

"Everything's fine Flare; it's OK." I said soothingly. He gulped and stood back up.

"Uh, I think that's enough demonstration Anette." Inchy said out loud. "Just one suggestion: can you four dial it down a bit? We want to scare them not traumatize them for life."

"Sure thing Inchy; I'll make sure they do." Anette replied keeping an eye on the others. Then the bell rang meaning that we had to go to our clubs to plan on what to do for the fair.

As we left and separated, I noticed that Flare was still looking shaky and slightly scared and it really concerned me. Whatever he saw must've really scared him half to death.

"Flare, I'm sorry if this is personal but what exactly did you see? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I said concerned.

He looked at me sadly. "I'm sorry Shana but I honestly don't want to talk about it."

I opened my mouth to ask something else but he was already gone, on his way to his club. I just stood there watching his retreating figure worriedly wondering what he feared the most.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16  
**FLARE'S POV**

Y'know what's worse than having a really bad dream? It's being forced to experience it all over again just hours after you first see it.

That's what happened to me when the Ghost types used me to demonstrate their powers. I saw it again, killing Shana with my own paws. But I wondered why it still terrified me if I was gonna do it anyway. Why was I so terrified by that? Is killing Shana really my greatest fear?

But something told me that there was something else in that dream, that killing Shana wasn't the only thing I feared. There was something else. A dream showed me two of my fears...what could the other one be?

* * *

At our club meeting, I really didn't pay attention much but I knew that we were sponsoring a tournament with a lot of money for the winner. I was preoccupied with my dream. Luckily, no one noticed me so I was spared from explaining my absentmindedness. I was kinda grateful for the lunch bell and I quickly left to eat.

Slick was still a little shaky and Zara was busy trying to comfort him. "Hey Flare, doing better?" Shana asked me.

I tried smiling. "Yeah Shana, I'm fine; I'm doing a lot better now." She smiled in relief at my answer. We both turned our attention to Slick and Zara.

"It's OK Slick. Everything's fine." she said soothingly.

"R-Really?" Slick asked sheepishly.

She smiled back at him. "Yeah. C'mon, I know just what'll cheer you up."

"Really? What?"

Zara took a deep breath. "So Slick...there's a dance on the third day of the festival. So I was thinking and...wanna be my date?"

I felt like we were intruding on something private and I was kinda sure Shana felt the same. I wordlessly jerked my head to Shana telling her to give them some privacy and she got my message. We slowly got up from the table and left the two of them alone to themselves.

"I still don't know why we feel so uncomfortable with this." Shana told me. "I mean, I'm glad that they're officially a couple now but..."

"I just wish they'd tone it down a little." I finished. "Besides, I'm not sure their 'official' yet I mean, Zara still hasn't explained him to her parents."

"I don't think explaining is wise. I mean, if my Uncle Slice and Aunt Chi heard about them dating without their knowledge, they might get aneurysms or something."

"Look's like we'll just have to watch how things turn out for them and hope for the best." I concluded.

Just then, the bell rung and we had to go back to class. "So uh Flare..." Shana said nervously.

"Yeah Shana?" I replied looking at her.

Her eyes swiveled from side to side nervously and a small blush appeared on her face. "Listen, I really wanna check out the dance on the last day of the school fair and it would really suck if I went alone so I was wondering..." Her blush intensified. "Would you...y'know...only if it's totally alright with you of course...want to go to the dance with me? A-As friends of course."

I blinked in surprise. "What?" That totally caught me off guard. Shana was actually asking me to the dance!

"I'm sorry Flare. I-It was stupid; forget I said anything." she said quickly turning away sadly.

"N-no, it's OK Shana. I-I'll go to the dance with you." I replied with a blush on my face.

"Really? Thanks Flare." She gave a small smile that made my chest flutter.

''Just one problem though." I added.

"What?"

I took a deep breath. "I...don't know how to dance." I admitted.

Shana stared at me for a while. "Well, I can fix that." she said. I turned confusedly to her. "Flare, if I can teach you to skate, I can teach you to dance."

"But how and when?" I asked.

Shana thought about it for a few seconds. "I got it; tomorrow, I have my first after school choir practice and Zara never sticks around for that. We can practice afterwards."

I agreed to this as we entered the classroom; Zara and Slick entered holding hands. The next day seemed to go one really fast and before I knew it. I was already lying down in bed.

As I laid there listening to the night I couldn't help but wonder why I wanted to go to the dance with her in the first place. I've already befriended the one I was going to kill and now I have to dance with her? But dancing with Shana didn't really seem like a bad idea and I was actually anticipating it.

Shana and I dancing and twirling around to the tune of beautiful music or maybe just her own voice; that would be a lot better. My paw in hers, eyes locked, our faces with content smiles...

Crap what was I thinking! I shook my head to clear up my thoughts. I shouldn't be fantasizing things like that. It would only make having to kill Shana even worse. But as I played that fantasy again in my help, I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"Hey Zara, I've got choir practice so I'll go home later. Just tell my parents that I'll be back by dinner." Shana said once class ended.

"Ok but Flare's going with you?" she asked pointing at me.

"Of course Zara." I answered. "I'm her guard; I'm supposed to accompany her wherever she goes."

Zara shrugged her shoulders. "OK, have a good practice then."

With that, she left us alone. "C'mon Flare, I'll show you to the choir room."

"Oh uh, I kinda already know the way there..." I admitted shyly. She must know that I did go and check on her during club picking day. She didn't say anything to this and remained quiet as we continued on towards the room. Eventually, we arrived.

"Ah Shana, you're just on time as usual." a Mismagius said to her.

"Hi Mr. Specter." Shana replied. "Oh and this's Flare; he's my personal guard."

"Oh, so you're Flare." Also in the room were a Buizel, Pidgeotto, Swablu and Poochyena who approached me. "My dad's Blaze and he told me about you. I'm Jacob by the way and these are Nami, Sora and Cirrus."

"Hi there; it's nice to meet you all." I said out loud. "So you're the school choir?"

"Yup. We're also the ones providing the music for the dance during the fair." Nami replied.

"But we get alternating shifts between who's singing and who's dancing right?" Shana asked.

"Of course Shana." Mr Specter replied. "We wouldn't want you to miss out on your dancing."

"Wait, you bringing a date Shana? Oooh, who is it?" Sora asked excitedly.

I felt myself blush again and so did Shana. "Well...you see...it's...it's Flare OK."

The four of them stared at her surprised for several seconds before facing me. They seemed to be holding me still with their gaze.

"But you're just her guard." Nami commented. "I guess you're more than that now." She chuckled for a while.

"We're just going as friends." I said defensively.

"C'mon guys, cut it out." Shana said but they all started giggling annoyingly.

"Alright, settle down now." Mr. Specter said out loud. "We need to practice so while Shana and Flare dance for us, we could just sing it."

"What?" Shana and I said at the same time.

There was then the sound of wood scraping against the floor as everyone else pushed the chairs out of the way leaving a big open space in the middle of the room with Shana and I in it. "Well this is perfect." I said sarcastically as Mr. Specter floated over to the piano and began playing.

"Nami, you go first, Jacob and the rest will follow." he said after a few notes. As Nami and the rest of them readied themselves, Shana and I just stared at each other wondering what the other might be thinking. Then, right before Nami began singing, Shana extended her paw towards me and I took it.

"Just follow the music Flare." she said and Nami began to sing.

_Take my hand, take a breath_  
_Pull me close, and take one step_  
_Keep your eyes locked to mine_  
_And let the music be your guide_

"Look, I'm really sorry about this Flare." Shana said blushingly as we rose until we were both standing on our hind legs. We began to waltz around the room to the tune of the music.

"No. I-It's OK. Go one; teach me how to dance." I said as Jacob stepped forward and began singing too with Nami.

_Won't you promise me (Now won't you promise me)_  
_That you'll never forget_  
_We'll keep dancing (To keep dancing)_  
_Wherever we go next_

Now everyone else joined in the singing. Shana didn't seem to need to teach me how to dance. My body moved on its own swaying with Shana with perfect synchronization to the tune of them music. I lifted her paw and she spun a little. The smile on her face told me that she was enjoying this; I smiled too.

_It's like catching lightning_  
_The chances of finding, someone like you_  
_It's one in a million_  
_The chances of feeling the way we do_  
_And with every step together_  
_We just keep on getting better_  
_So can I have this dance? (Can I have this dance?)_  
_Can I have this dance?_

"How're you two doing?" Mr Specter asked but Shana and I were too busy dancing with each other to reply. "Why don't you two join the singing next?"

"What? N-No, I don't sing either." I answered.

"C'mon Flare, just give it a try." Shana said as we continued to sway and dance. "Just follow Jacob's lead and you'll be fine." That seemed to convince me; I took a deep breath and tried singing to her as best as I could while continuing to dance with her.

_Take my hand, I'll take the lead_  
_And every turn, will be safe with me_  
_Don't be afraid, afraid to fall_  
_You know I'll catch you through it all_

"Wow, you're pretty good Flare." Shana complimented. I blushed and I continued this time singing with her with her voice that touches me so much.

_And you can't keep us apart (Even a 1,000 miles can't keep us apart) _  
_'Cuz my heart is wherever you are (Because my heart is wherever you are) _

_It's like catching lightning_  
_The chances of finding, someone like you_  
_It's one in a million_  
_The chances of feeling the way we do_  
_And with every step together_  
_We just keep on getting better_  
_So can I have this dance? (Can I have this dance?)_  
_Can I have this dance?_

At that moment, we seemed to be the only ones in the world. There was no room, no floor, nothing but me and Shana singing and dancing together sharing this moment with each other. That fantasy I had last night seemed to have become reality.

_No mountains too high enough Ocean's too wide_  
_'Cuz together or not, Our dance won't stop_  
_Let it rain, let it pour_  
_What we have is worth fighting for_  
_You know I believe, that we were meant to be._

_It's like catching lightning_  
_The chances of finding, someone like you_  
_It's one in a million_  
_The chances of feeling the way we do_  
_And with every step together_  
_We just keep on getting better_  
_So can I have this dance? (Can I have this dance?)_  
_Can I have this dance?_

The song and our dance was over though I wished it lasted longer. Shana and I let go of each other. We were both blushing but we managed to smile at each other. I actually didn't know how to describe what we just did but I could say that it was very...memorable to me.

"Splendid! That was truly remarkable!" Mr. Specter cried out with tears in his eyes and I suddenly remembered that there were others in the room. The rest of the choir were smiling and giggling a little. "Y'know Flare, when you started singing I told Jacob and the others to pull out and leave the rest to you two."

"Wait, so when Flare started, it was just the two of us singing?" Shana asked. Mr. specter said yes and we were both reduced to blushing silence.

* * *

"So Shana, how was practice today?" Shade asked at dinnertime. Shana caught my eye and we gave a small smile to each other.

"It was...nice." was all she answered. "Right Flare?"

"Oh yes. It was very nice." I said. Shade nodded and went back to his food.

"Nice in what way?" Shine asked me.

I paused for a while to gather my thoughts for an answer. "Just nice. That's all."

After that no one questioned us about the practice anymore. Shana and I had both silently agreed that that was a secret we would keep to ourselves.

As I went to bed, I couldn't help but still think about us dancing together at the ball and lay down in bed just imagining it. I actually couldn't wait to do it for real at the ball. The very thought of us dancing together soothed my heart until I fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

The song above was Can I Have This Dance from High School Musical 3


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17  
**SHANA'S POV**

Dancing around like that with Flare was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. It was just so magical... I had never felt that way before.

Something seemed to have clicked inside me during that moment. I didn't know what it was but its feeling was indescribable. Yet, for some reason, I feel shy and nervous about talking about that with Flare. I wasn't so sure if he felt the same thing but the look on his face after we danced made me think that.

Flare, if you did feel the same thing during our dance, could you be able to describe it? Or are you, like me, too shy to talk about it?

* * *

When we arrived at the classroom the next day, we found a large group of Pokemon gathered around the chair next to Flare's. Knowing that too be Philia's, the three of us parted through the crowd and saw Philia, a clipboard on her desk while someone was writing on it.

"Hey Philia, what's going on here?" Slick asked.

"I've got the sign up sheets for the Pokemon Contest on the second day of the fair and as you can see, I've already got a lot of Pokemon sighing up." she answered.

"Can I join?" Zara asked.

"Sure; the contest's open to anyone who want to join."

"You're really joining Zara?" I asked.

"Yup. It's our last school fair anyway so why not?" she wrote her name down.

"Well it does sound fun...Count me in then." I said writing down my own name. "Flare, Slick, how about you two?"

"Nah, contests aren't really my thing; I'll pass." Slick answered.

"Well I don't see the harm in it." Flare answered before he too signed up.

"I'll look forward to your performance Flare." Philia said in an alluring tone which made him nervous.

So it was settled then; the three of us would be competing against each other at the Pokemon Contest on the second day of the school fair. Zara immediately started chatting with Slick probably discussing what kind of performance she should do. Flare turned my way and said: "So I guess we're competing against each other huh?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Don't hold back OK?"

He smiled at me reassuringly. "I won't." he said and then the teacher stepped in and class began.

* * *

"A Pokemon contest? That's new for you Shana." my mom said when we told her about our plans for the fair.

"You're joining too Flare?" my dad asked surprised.

"Yes sir. It sounded like fun and it gives me an opportunity to guard Shana before she performs." Flare answered.

My dad shook his head and sighed. "Y'know Flare, you should try taking it easy while she's at school; she's a lot safer there so it really wasn't neccesary for you to sign up."

"It's kinda too late sir. I've already signed up."

My dad smiled at him. "Oh well, I'm just glad you're taking you're making sure Shana's safe."

"Sir, Shana's safety and her life are what matter the most to me."

I had to turn away from him to hide the blush that unexpectedly crept onto my face. Unfortunately, Zara noticed.

"Awww, Shana's embarrassed!" she said giggling.

"I am not!" I said defensively but my blush deepened. Zara laughed once more before running out of the room before I could do anything else.

"Don't worry; you can get back at her during the contest." Flare said. "Although, I might do it instead." With that thought, I felt more reassured.

* * *

After dinner, I spent my remaining time planning on what routine I would do for the contest. I was on my bed, a small notebook in one paw and a pencil inthe other as I racked my brain for ideas. For several minutes, nothing new entered my notebook nor my mind. I considered just turning in for the night and just continuing it some other time when I heard a strange noise out the window.

Curious, I went over to the window and opened it and tried listening for the sound again. I heard it again but this time, it was accompanied by a flash of red. It seemed to be coming from the rooftop garden so I went to to find out what it was.

As I approached the door to the garden, I saw the flash of red again. It opened it slightly and was surprised to see Flare panting and sweating, the ground around him was singed and burnt.

"Fl-Flare?" i said entering the garden.

"Shana? What're you doing here?" he asked me.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing."

Flare indicated the burn marks on the ground. "I was...practicing my routine for the Pokemon Contest."

"Oh...Oh. I'm sorry I disturbed you." I apologized. "I mean it's totally unfair if I find out what you're doing so I'll just be-"

"No it's OK. I was about to call it a night anyway." he said. "I'll just rest a little while before going to bed."

Flare went on over to one of the benches in the garden and sat down and I joined him. We just sat together in awkward silence for several minutes;neither of us seemed to know what to say. With a jolt, I realized that this was our first private meeting after our dance. I wondered if he was gonna bring that up.

"So uh...you already got a routine going on?" Flare asked me.

"Oh...Not really yet; I haven't got any ideas."

"Well you're bound to come up with one before the contest." he reassured me.

Again, we were silent after that. If he wasn't going to bring it up, then I was.

"Flare..." I began nervously. "Listen...about our dance..."

I saw him become nervous which maybe think he felt something too. "Did you um...Did...um..." Crap, I didn't know what to say; i haven't been this nervous before.

"Did I what?" he asked me.

I took a deep breath. "Did you feel anything after our dance?" I blurted out.

We stared at each other for several seconds. Finally Flare said: "What kind of feeling are you talking about?"

"I...well...I don't know how to describe it myself but..." I couldn't help but smile a little. "I...I kinda liked it."

"You...you liked dancing with me?" Flare blushed.

"I well...yeah..." I blushed too. Are all of our future conversations gonna be like this? "Did...did you?"

He thought about it for a while. "Well I...I did Shana. I...I really enjoyed dancing with you. In fact, I can't wait to dance again during the fair."

"M-Me too...I can't wait." I admitted. For one second, I thought about suggesting we dance right there despite the lack of music but Flare spoke up.

"Listen Shana, it's getting late; we should really go to bed." he said getting up and heading back down.

"Flare." I called after him before he could leave.

"Yeah Shana?"

I had that moment again where the sound of his voice made me forget what I was going to say. Once again, I ended up saying the first thing that came to my mind.

"I have a fear of going underground."

He stared at me puzzled for a few seconds. "Um...what?"

I took a deep breath before explaining. "My greatest fear is being forced to go underground if its totally against my will. And that being buried alive thing really freaks me out too."

"Oh, I see. So that's what those Ghost types' illusion showed you." Flare said with a nod. I got off the bench and walked over to him.

"You don't think it's stupid?" I asked him.

"No not at all." His face suddenly turned stony. "Besides there were worse visions than yours."

"You mean like yours?" I asked and he turned away.

"Well, yeah. Look Shana," he began still not looking at me. "What I saw...it really bugs me up to now; to be honest...I'm not so sure what my greatest fear is right now."

"Is that a good thing?" I asked curiously.

He sighed sadly. "Not really, it's got me all confused and stuff."

"Well, if you ever need me for something, just say so." I gave him a reassuring smile. "You shouldn't be afraid to tell me what's wrong with you; it wouldn't kill me to know."

At the words "kill me", Flare's body froze with a panicked look on his face. His legs started to shake slightly which alarmed me. "Flare, what's wrong? What is it? Was it something I said?"

"I...I..." he said shakily without turning towards me. I had an idea to what was going on.

"Are you...are you seeing it again Flare?" I asked him again. "What is it Flare? Please tell me." I begged him.

He didn't seem to respond to me. I said his name again several time but he still didn't react at all. The next thing I knew, I grabbed his face with both of my paws and brought it close to mine. Staring into his eyes, all I said was: "Flare."

He finally started to calm down since his legs stopped shaking. His face softened and he said: "Shana?"

"Yes Flare. It's me. I'm right here. I always will be when you need me." I reassured him. He gave a very small smile but then it turned to shock. "What's wrong?" I asked worrying again.

"No way..." he said softly. "I...but why...that...that's my fear...?"

"What is it Flare? Please tell me, maybe I can help you."

He looked right into my eyes and there was a long silence between us. The sound of the evening breeze was the only thing that was heard. Then, breaking the silence, Flare finally told me his greatest fear.

"...Loosing you..."


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18  
**FLARE'S POV **

Was that it? Was that my worst fear? Losing Shana, the one I have to kill one day, is my greatest fear? No...It can't...I can't...

I didn't have much time to explain myself to her after telling her that; after saying that, we froze for about a second before I tore my face out of her paws and made a mad dash to my room where I locked the door and buried my head in my pillow trying to set my very messed up mind straight. I doubted I was going to get a good night's sleep.

I didn't want to lose Shana yet I have to kill her. If I do kill her then that'll damage me beyond repair for the rest of my life. If I didn't kill her and continued my vow to protect her from any harm, the rebels would find out which would lead to an enraged Dart who would waste no time in hatching a scheme to kill us all.

But another source of my worries was why I feared loosing her. Yeah, she's my best friend and I did make a promise to protect her but there seemed to be something else, something that I felt after our dance or maybe...maybe it was something I felt for a long time, maybe since the day Spore first harassed her...or maybe since the day she became my first friend.

My first friend...Shana was the first one to befriend me, the first to try to get to know me. Heck, she was the first one who made me feel important. She was always there for me just as she said numerous times already and she always would be. But if I told her the truth, that I am a rebel, then what would she do? Surely, she'd hate me; after all, I am a part of the group that wanted her and her parents dead and giving power over the nation to the most blood thirsty Pokemon in the world. She'd completely despise me and want nothing more than to see me leave her for the rest of her life.

And that was just horrible to me; our friendship would be broken and, with her hating me, I would lose her trust, her respect, and worst of all, herself. Telling her my part of the rebels would just make this situation much worse.

Why was I fearing what was only making my life harder? After everything she and I have been through, teaching me to skate, dancing with me, showing me concern that I was never given by anyone else before, making me feel like I actually mattered, I don't want to lose Shana; I just don't...I...I...

"...I love her..."

I had found my third reason.

* * *

As I predicted, I didn't get much sleep that night and woke up wanting to sleep some more. But I had to wake Shana up so I left my room to do so. As I made my way to her room, I couldn't help but feel nervous seeing that this was the first time we were meeting since last night.

Pausing before the door to her room, I took a deep breath and opened it. She was right there sleeping soundly and peacefully; I could gaze at her all day and not mind it at all. I loved her with all my heart; to hell with Dart and the rebels, she was all that mattered to me and I finally decided not to kill her.

It was totally different than what happened with Philia. That time, I just became a total nervous wreck when she charmed me but with Shana, I was a lot more focused. Also, with Philia, I was attracted to her very presence.

But not with Shana; I was a lot more calm and collected when I'm with her. And this was real, legitimate love, not some powerful attraction like Philia's. I had said before that Shana deserved someone who would love her out of actual love, little did I know that I was talking about what I would feel for her in the future.

I walked on over to her and shook her awake; she woke up almost instantly like always. Yawning a little, she turned to me and said: "Oh...Morning Flare."

"Uh, hi Shana." I had a feeling that she was thinking about last night too. "Listen, we better get to breakfast."

"Y-yeah." Shana said before getting up and leaving her room with me.

I wondered what was her take on this, what my greatest fear is. Surely, she had some reaction to it but I was too afraid to ask. After a few moments, we arrived at the dinning room without speaking to each other at all.

"So Shana, have a routine yet for the Pokemon Contest?" Zara asked.

"No, not yet Zara; I'm still in the planning stage." Shana answered.

"Flare?"

"I uh...I have an idea though I'm still trying it out." I answered. "How 'bout you?"

"I got it all figured out." she said proudly. "You two better watch out 'cause I'm gonna blow you too away at the contest; there's no way I'm holding back. But I'm sure you'll both do alright." she added quickly.

"Yeah, but you should still watch out Zara because I'm not holding back either." Shana said with a smile.

"So am I." I picked up my glass and held it up. "Cheers to a good clean contest." The three of us touched our glasses together and drank. I caught Shana's eye afterwards and gave her a small smile; she gave back an even smaller one.

The rest of the day went by so fast and we were back home after school before I knew it. But when the three of us arrived, there seemed to be something wrong.

"Huh? Where're my mom and dad?" Shana said after finding Shade's office to be empty.

"Maybe they're in their room." I suggested. But when we examined it, they weren't there either.

"What if something bad happened to them?" Shana asked terrified.

I walked over to her and patted her back comfortingly. "Calm down Shana, we're not sure of anything yet; let's just wait for the news to what's going on here."

Just then, we heard footsteps outside the room. We went out to find Chi running towards us.

"Good, I've found you three." she said stopping in front of us.

"Mom, what's going on? Where is everyone?" Zara asked.

Chi panted a little before answering. "They are at a hospital."

I saw Shana's face turn to stone. "Is...are they..."

"You parents are fine Shana. It's Rosy who is being visited. Come, I will explain when we get there." And the three of us followed Chi to the hospital.

* * *

When we arrived, we found Shade's entire guard there. Shade and Shine themselves were standing in front of a bed where Rosy sleeping with a very bad wound wrapped in bandages on her left upper arm. Also around the bed was her family, an Azumarill and a small Azuril and Budew.

"What happened to her?" Shana asked going to Rosy's bedside.

Shine looked at her. "She was just at home with her family when rebels attacked her." My heart almost stopped just then. "They went for her family and she fought them off but got that wound on her shoulder."

"How bad is it?" Zara asked.

It was Rosy's husband who answered. "The doctor just came in; he said it was pretty bad."

"How bad?" Zara asked further.

He bit his lip. "The cut reached her bone." I heard a gasp from Zara and Shana covered her mouth in horror.

"But-But mom'll be OK right dad?" Rosy's Azuril son asked concerned.

"Yes son; she will be." his dad replied.

"That's good." he said before turning his eyes worriedly to his mother.

I didn't want to be in that room. I wanted to get out as fast as I could so I thought up the best excuse I could. "Sorry but uh...I gotta go to the bathroom."

"There's one right here." Slice said pointing at it.

"No that's Rosy's; I'll just take the one outside."

"It's down the hall to your left."

I thanked Slice and took one last time at the worried looks on Rosy's family before leaving the room as fast as I could without making it look suspicious.

Luckily, there wasn't anyone along the hospital corridor so no one saw me slump down with my back against the door and covered my face. Rosy was hurt, her family and all her friends were worried sick, because of the rebels...because of what I was a part of. I doubted she would be the first; any one of them could be the next target of the rebels.

Shana...

I had a realization so shocking I actually bolted up. I remembered something I was thinking about last night and it now seemed to be true. Despite the fact that I would never kill Shana, I was still a danger to her. If the rebels, and by extension Dart, get word that I don't want to do this mission, he would literally go berserk and wouldn't hesitate to launch an all out attack on their home and kill everyone there.

I had to stop that from happening but how? I wasn't not strong enough to confront Dart nor take on all of the rebels. After much thought, I had only one choice, a choice that was very painful for me.

I had to run away...I had to leave Shana and get as far as I can out of this nation. I couldn't bring her with me; she was needed for this nation's future. If I ran away, the rebels would think that I chickened out and they would see me as a traitor and their attention would be drawn to me; a rebel had turned traitor and went into hiding a few years ago and Dart spent half a year hunting him down before finally killing him. I would draw them to me for as long as I could.

I wouldn't tell Shana or anyone anything. I would just leave without saying anything knowing that if I did, it would only make things worse. This would be my final act to protect Shana; I would not lose her and she would be a lot safer. My mind was made up and couldn't be changed.

When you fall in love with the one you were told to kill, the one person who should stay as far away from them as possible is you.


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19  
**SHANA'S POV**

Something's wrong with Flare. Ever since we got back from the hospital he was acting rather depressed. At first, I thought that we was just as worried about my Aunt Rosy as Zara and I were so I didn't pay much attention to it. But the following day, he was just the same and the day after that and the day after that.

He seemed to be going back to his old self: quiet, distancing himself from us, only speaking when spoken to and answering only briefly before going back to his silent state. Zara and Slick noticed this too but even they couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't help but wonder if this was about me; every time I ask Flare what was wrong, he would just say: "Sorry Shana but its complicated."

He never looked me in the eye whenever he said that.

* * *

The days then stretched into weeks and still no change with Flare. Sometimes, I would catch him staring at me but when I turn to him, he quickly looks away. Today however, gave me and opportunity to speak to him more. We only had a few days left before the school fair and the whole school was busy with their preparations. Ours included constructing the entrance to our haunted house. Since anything anyone would see inside would just be an illusion, we only had to build up the entrance.

As soon as the four of us arrived, Inchy put us right to work. He told Zara and slick to start painting some pieces of wood and Flare and I to start sawing up new pieces of wood for further use. Perfect, just the job I need to talk to Flare.

As Flare took a saw in hand, I had the opportunity to talk to him. "So Flare...got any plans for the morning and afternoon of the last day of the fair?" None of us had any duties that time, we had the whole morning and afternoon free. Zara and Slick were going to spend some alone time during that time so I wanted to spend that time with Flare.

Flare looked at me for a second. "No." He then started to saw while I held the wood steady. I saw the look on his face, sad and concerned, which made me worry about him even more.

I decided to continue our conversation over the noise of him sawing. "I don't either..." I began to feel nervous again. I began to blush. "So I was wondering...if you'd want to spend the third day just with me?"

Flare stopped sawing and bit his lip in deep thought. Finally, he turned to me smiled like he hasn't done in weeks and said: "Sure Shana; I wouldn't be any happier to."

That was the longest sentence he said to me in weeks. I wanted to talk more but he just went back to his job.

I couldn't help but be somewhat frustrated at this. Weren't we friends? Didn't I tell him that he could tell me anything? That I would be there to help him out no matter what? He's just gonna shut himself up even after everything we've been through?

Doesn't he know how worried I am about him?

"Flare, why don't you tell me what's wrong? Please, I can help you." I said frustratingly.

He stopped sawing to answer me. "Look Shana, it's-"

"Don't 'it's complicated me' me." I said back. "Why won't you let me help you?"

"Because you can't help me Shana." Flare answered. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"But there has to be something-" Then it hit me. "It's about me isn't it? Am I doing something wrong?"

"Don't think that Shana; it's not your fault." Flare said reassuringly but I sure didn't feel reassured.

"Then whose fault is it Flare?"

He seemed very hesitant to answer. "It...it's my fault OK Shana?"

That just made me more concerned. "What is it Flare? C'mon, please tell me; I want to help you."

Flare looked right into my eyes and spoke with a shaky voice. "Shana...I...I..."

"Hey, can you two get back to work please?" Inchy said to us. Flare hastily closed his mouth and went back to sawing.

* * *

School eventually ended and all of us were on on way home. Along the way, we saw rides being constructed on the school grounds for the fair: roller coasters and ferris wheels and carousels and stuff like that. One look at the carousel and I could already picture me and Flare riding it, our happy faces laughing and smiling as we spun around and around. That thought cut me short.

Flare...my guard and my friend. But was there more to that? Was I starting to think of him as more than a friend?

When I saw him all down and gloomy, it bothered me a lot. It was then that I realized that I missed his smile, his laugh, his talking to us. I didn't like this unsocial Flare at all; I wanted the Flare that would talk to us and laugh with us, the Flare who-

"Uh Shana? You OK?" His voice snapped me back to reality and I realized that I was standing still the whole time. I saw his face, worried and concerned for me.

"Um...yeah Flare, I'm fine." I replied. He just nodded and we continued our way home.

As I went to bed latter that night, Flare was still on my mind. I continued to wonder what was wrong with him and how it could possibly be his fault. I never saw him do anything wrong. Again, I was frustrated at his refusal to tell me; I wanted to help him as he helped me before. We were friends right?

Once again, I ended up questioning my own friendship with Flare. Was I really feeling like he was more than that to me? Something deep within me told me yes but I wanted to be completely sure first. I had an idea for a way to find out.

Slowly, I left my room and tip toed all the way to Flare's room; hopefully, he would be asleep so I wouldn't have to explain myself. It felt so weird; I felt like I was a stalker or something. Luckily, he was fast asleep when I opened the door and I silently entered and approached his bed.

A shaft of moonlight came in through he window and illuminated his face. I ended up gazing at it; his face was of someone I can truly trust with my own life, someone who would accept me despite all my flaws. This was someone who stood up for me and defended me from anyone who tried to do me harm. This was someone...who I...

I...

What I felt finally dawned on me.

So that was it; I came here looking for an answer and I got it. I smiled and slowly left the room but not before whispering something to him softly when I was at his door. I knew he wouldn't hear me but I didn't really care; what I whispered was a truth that could never be denied, a truth I would defend for as long as I lived.

"...I love you Flare..."


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20  
**FLARE'S POV**

I didn't mean to distance myself from Shana. It's just that...as much as I've already decided to leave her, I couldn't help but feel depressed. Honestly, I wouldn't leave her if I didn't have to. But I had to; it was for her own protection. I would draw the rebels' wrath to me and keep them away from her as long as possible.

I planned to leave the day after our dance before anyone woke up. I wanted to spend that one last moment with her before leaving . I would miss her and I knew I would be tempted to go back but all I had to do was remember our dance and know that she was safe to move on.

I didn't want Shana to worry anymore so I planned to cheer up during the school fair which was now very close. Those three days would be the last I would spend with Shana, Slick and Zara. I would spend that time enjoying every last second with them. But I would also be dreading the last time I would see them.

Shana...if only I could tell you everything. I want to, especially my feelings for you, but I can't. It would only make things worse for the two of us. But I love you Shana and I always will which is why I have to leave you for your own safety. Until then and even after I leave, I'll only think of you. I hope you can forgive me; I never wanted to do this but it had to be done. I would spend my last few days with you until the day I would say the saddest two words in my life.

...Goodbye Shana...

* * *

"WAKE UP FLARE! IT'S TIME FOR THE SCHOOL FAIR!" Zara yelled while excitedly hammering on the door to my room. I woke up with a startled yell and was already wide awake. Zara stopped hammering and left probably to wake Shana up. Since I was the only one who could do that, I followed her.

Yes, it was time; Central City High School's School Fair was today, a Friday, and the three of us were able to wake up much later than usual, around 8 a.m. We already had a plan worked out for this three day celebration. The school ground close at 8 p.m. except on Sunday where it ends at midnight. The four of us already talked about it and this was our plan for the fair:

Day 1 (Friday)  
Morning: We can't do much since I have a shift at my club's tournament.  
Afternoon: Zara's baseball game against Amber City's baseball club.

Day 2 (Saturday)  
Morning: The Sculpting club's art exposition which Slick is a part of.  
Afternoon: Pokemon Contest.

Day 3 (Sunday)  
Morning and Afternoon: No duties or anything so Zara and Slick are spending the day together leaving me to spend it with Shana.  
Night: Grand Ball.

My first and last fair here was gonna rock.

I found Zara inside Shana's room already holding a baseball bat and trying to shake her awake. Before she could decide to use the bat, I stepped in Shana woke up instantly to my methods. Eventually the three of us were already on our way to breakfast.

"So Zara, you ready for your game later?" Shana asked.

"Oh you bet I am." Zara answered getting into a batting position. "I'll see if I can knock it out of the city." She pretended to swing.

"With a swing like that, I'd say you'd knock it right outta the nation Zara." The door opened and Zara's parents entered.

"Hi mom and dad. You're up early." Zara said.

"We must be if we're to make it to your game later." Chi said patting her daughter's forehead. "I know you will do good later Zara; that's all we want to see."

"Don't worry mom; I won't let you down." Zara said. After that, I heard Slice mutter something about wishing he had a school fair to got to when he was our age.

* * *

School was already bustling with excitement when we arrived. The rides were set up and fully functional, stalls and booths that sold food or played games were operation and the Aviation club was doing an air show high in the sky.

"So Flare, you'll be heading to your club's tournament now right?" Shana asked me.

"That's right; I should finish around 12:30 which gives me an hour before Zara's baseball game." I answered. "Anyway, I gotta go; see you guys."

I left them and made my way to our club's tournament which took place inside a large brown tent behind the gym. There would be two tournaments, one on each of the first two days, and a final match between the winners of the two tournaments on the last day.

I was assigned to sit at a desk and collect payments for those who would watch. About five minutes in, the lines were incredibly long; a lot of students seemed to want to watch the fight. I couldn't tell exactly how many there were but I just kept accepting their payments and giving out their tickets.

Several minutes after the first match started, nobody lined up anymore. I thought that I could relax for a while until I was told to sell some food to the audience. I was given a tray of various berries and pastries before entering the tent.

There was a large ring in the middle of the tent where a Kirlia and a Rhydon where currently battling. Surrounding the ring were the stands that held the audience who were screaming and cheering on the two Pokemon. As the Kirlia dodged a Take Down, I was called by someone in the audience who wanted some food. After giving him some food, a loud cry went around the the entire tent, I turned back to the center to see the Kirlia fire Magical Leaf and knocking our the Rhydon and being declared the winner.

The rest of my shift went on with me alternating between going around trying to sell food and trying to watch the ongoing battles. At 12:30, my shift was over; I left the tent and wondered how I was gonna meet up with the others.

"Hi Flare, shift's done already?" I was surprised to see Shana approach me.

"Yeah. Where're Slick and Zara?" I asked her.

"Slick doing some final touches on his sculpture and Zara's warming up before her game. I've been practicing with my choir until I went for you."

I took a look around. "We've still got an hour before Zara's game; you wanna go somewhere?"

Shana thought about it. "Why don't we check on how our haunted house is doing?" she suggested; I agreed and we were off.

We found Inchy sitting at a desk in front of the door to our classroom and a line in front of it. The back door then opened and a shaken and trembling Ekans left.

"Hey Inchy, how's everything?" Shana asked.

"It's doing great. The visions are a lot milder than last time's but they're still scary enough." he replied.

"Hey Inchy, I'm bored. Can I take a break?" Hal said poking his head out of the door.

"Your shift's just started Hal so no brakes yet." Inchy replied.

Hal sighed and then got a glimpse of me. "Hey Flare, you wanna try it out?" he asked.

"No. I'm not going in there." I said remembering the last time they showed me a vision.

"Fine."

I opened my mouth to talk again when both of Hal's hands grabbed me and threw me into the classroom. I caught one last glimpse of Shana reaching out to grab me before I was thrown in.

When I recovered, I saw that I wasn't inside the classroom but in the middle of a great dark purple abyss. I guessed that the visions were starting.

"Flare, is that you? I'm gonna kill Hal the next time I see him." an angry voice which I recognized said.

"Anette? Is that you?" I asked out loud.

"Yeah. I can't really do anything to help you right now; you just have to go through the course of this place; I'm just here to make sure my brother and his friends don't pry into your personal life too much. Now in this vision, you may feel that you are talking and speaking but in reality, your standing completely still; everything except the exit is just an illusion."

I felt slightly nervous and Anette seemed to notice. "Don't worry; I made sure this vision won't be as bad as before. You'll see a different vision here." That lifted my spirits up a little. I took a deep breath and plunged into a milder version of my greatest fear.

I began walking forward but nothing showed up so I continued on along the abyss. Eventually, I saw someone approach me causing me to stop. The figure got closer and I realized that it was Shana. That didn't really surprise me so I tried speaking up.

"Sh-Shana-"

SMACK!

When she was close enough, Shana delivered a powerful slap to my cheek and almost knocked me to the ground. Recovering, I caught a glimpse of her face but it was unlike any other face she had; this one was filled with nothing but rage.

"Shana-"

"How could you!" she screamed furiously at me and she delivered another slap to my other cheek. "How could you just lie and deceive me! Zara and Slick...even my parents thought they could trust you! All this time, I thought you were a pretty good guy but you're nothing but a damn rebel!"

I froze in place unable to move after hearing the things she shouted at me. She was so angry, she scared me out of my wits. Then without warning, she tackled me to the ground until I was laying face up with her paws pinning mine down. She continued to glare at me with fury in her eyes.

"I thought I could trust you!" she smacked the side of my head painfully. "I thought you were someone I could count on!" Another smack came from her. "But you were sent to kill me and my family!" She began shaking my head, banging it against the ground. "How many Pokemon have you killed since you joined the rebels huh! How many innocent lives did you take! How many homes did you destroy, families did you tear apart and Pokemon have you tortured! Answer me!"

But I didn't; I couldn't. I continued to stare at her completely speechless until she let go of me and took a few steps away.

"I never wan't to see you ever again." I opened my mouth to say something. "Get away from me and my family! Get the hell out of my life! Do me a favor and just die!"

With that final word, she turned around and ran away. I pushed myself up and saw her retreating figure. "Shana..." She continued to run away. "Shana!" I begged and I tried to follow her but I never got any closer and she continued to get further away from me. "Shana!" Tears began to form in my eyes. I tripped and fell face flat onto the ground; with a face covered in tears, I looked up and saw her vanish. I lost her.

"SHAAAAAAANAAAAAAA!"


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21  
**SHANA'S POV**

When Flare stepped out of our class's haunted house, I was alarmed at how troubled and terrified he looked. The look on his face made me think he cried a little. Inchy clearly noticed this too and left to discipline Hal.

"Hal?" the former called into the room. "Hal, where are you?"

"Don't worry about him Inchy; I've dealt with him already." Annette said behind her, I could see Mario standing in front of Hal who had a very large bruise on his head."

"Is he unconscious?"

"I thnk so."

Inchy grumbled. "Great, I'll go get something to wake him up." He turned to the line of waiting students. "Sorry everyone but we're closed. We'll be open as soon as I can get Hall up."

Some of the students gave frustrated grunts before they left. Inchy too left to get some supplies leaving me alone with Flare. His expression didn't change at all and I just had to do something.

"Flare, are you OK?" I asked worriedly.

At the sound of my voice, he flinched away for some reason but then answered. "I...um...I..."

I had a feeling that what he saw in there had something to do with me. "Flare, it's OK. Everything's going be fine."

He didn't react to what I said and continued to look as troubled as ever. Wanting him to stop, I just went over and gave him a hug which took him by surprise.

"Sh...Shana..."

"You lost me in there, didn't you." I said to him. "Flare," I hugged him tighter. "You don't have to worry about loosing me. I have you right? I know you'll always be there to protect me when I need to be. You're a good guard Flare; don't think that you aren't one."

"That's not it Shana..." he told me with a shaky, troubled voice. "It was me; I did something wrong and you...and you voluntarily left while hating me."

Me hate him? No way; I couldn't believe that Flare would think that I might do that. "Flare..."

"You wished I was dead!" he cried out and he began crying. He seemed so strong back when he was defending me but now, I felt my heart melt for him and just wanted to make him stop.

I parted from him a little and looked into his face. I placed my paws on his cheeks as I spoke. "I will never hate you Flare. No matter how bad you may say you are, no matter what you've done or who you've hurt, that'll never ever happen. I'll accept you no matter who you are."

He gulped. "But Shana...I...I'm..."

I help up my paw and he stopped talking. "You are Flare. That's all I really care about."

He stopped crying and I wiped the remaining tears from his eyes. "There there, it's OK. Want me to get you some shake?"

Flare sniffed and nodded. "Yes; thank you Shana."

I smiled and together, we went back to the fair grounds and found a stall that sold berry shakes. I bought Flare an Oran one since that was his favorite flavor. We found and empty table and sat there.

"So Shana...how was your choir practice a while ago?" he asked me as he sipped his shake; he seemed a lot more calm now.

"It was OK. They all can't can't for the dance."

The dance...my dance with Flare...that would be the night. On that night, I will confess my feelings to Flare.

"I can't wait either." Flare said with a smile. He finished the last of his shake.

"Hey you two, how's it going?" a voice behind me said. I turned around and saw my Uncle Slice and Aunt Chi.

"We're pretty good. Just checked out our class's haunted house." I answered.

"Listen, Zara's game is in thirty minutes. We must get good seats." my Aunt Chi said. We agreed and we were all off to the baseball pitch.

We found Slick there causing my Uncle Slice and Aunt Chi to frown. He gave them a respectful greeting before inconveniently sitting right next to them. Not wanting to notice this, Flare and I took our seats and the game began to start.

The two teams entered the pitch and the captains shook hands. The rules were then explained emphasizing that using attacks wasn't allowed and after that, Zara's team was batting first.

The pitcher was a Granbull and our batter was a Golduck. At the first pitch of the game, the ball was struck and the Golduck made it all the way to second base. Next up to bat was Zara.

"C'mon Zara, hit that thing right outta the field!" my Uncle Slice cried out as she took the bat and pointed it at the horizon silently saying what she'll do what her dad said. The pitcher grumbled and the rest of his team backed up and began to spread out. But when the ball was thrown, Zara only hit it lightly causing it to bounce off the ground. While the enemy team fumbled to get it, Zara bolted and was on first base just as the the guy on second made it all the way to home scoring a point for us. As the opposing team grumbled, Zara flashed us a grin.

* * *

Later that night at dinner, we held a a small party in celebration of Zara's performance at the game earlier. Surprisingly, Slick was also invited; it seemed to be her parent's "reward" for helping her team win a while ago.

"Of course, we can't forget that big competition tomorrow." my dad said indicating me, Flare and Zara. "I know you three will do good tomorrow so make us pround!"

"We will dad." I said and I looked at Zara and Flare who were at my side. We gave one last toast to a good clean contest tomorrow and our little party broke up and everyone went to bed.

"Hey Flare, you still troubled about a while ago?" I asked as we headed to our respective rooms.

"A little bit." he answered meekly. "Shana...you don't wish I were dead do you?"

We were in front of my room when he asked that. I already knew what to say even though I thought for only about a second. "No Flare, I don't. In fact, I wish you a long and happy life."

He smiled at me. "Thank you Shana. Goodnight."

"Night Flare." I entered my room and closed the door. Deep down in my heart I wanted to be a part of Flare's long, happy life. I laid down on my bed and whispered one last: "I love you Flare." before I slept.

Please just wait until our dance Flare; I'll tell you exactly why I would never hate you.


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22  
**FLARE'S POV **

Shana would never hate me for being a rebel but what would she feel after I leave her the day after our dance?

Seeing that vision was just awful but it just strengthened my resolve to leave Shana without a single word. As much as I wanted to tell her everything, especially how much I love her, I had to keep quiet and leave without saying anything.

Honestly, I was very much tempted to tell her that I was a rebel but I didn't; what good would've it done to her? I would tell her nothing when I leave, not who I really am, not even my feelings for her. I felt guilty for leaving her in the dark but I had to to protect her.

She wished me a long and happy life...All I wished for as to spend that life with her. But no. I would spend the rest of my life, running and hiding just to get the rebels away from her. I wasn't a good life but as long as it would protect Shana, I'd do it.

Now that I was only a few days away from leaving her, I realized how much I truly loved her. I actually felt like crying again at the thought of never having to see her again. I fought back my tears; I had to be strong. I told myself repeatedly that I had to do this to protect her.

I already planned the rest of my life out. I would leave early morning before anyone got up. Silently, I would leave this house; I could already imagine how choked up I would feel at that time. I would creep all the way to the border of the nation and just leave. Shana and her parents would wonder why I was gone and the rebels would see me as a traitor and Dart would order a search for me. None of them would find me; by the time they woke up, I would've already left the nation.

There was another reason for leaving the nation. For as long a I could remember, I was always curious to what lay beyond it. What if there was another nation out there filled with Pokemon I haven't seen before? I wanted to explore the outside world; it would serve as a distraction from wanting to go back.

So that was it, my plan once I leave Shana for good. But she would be in my thoughts the whole time. Every night when I go to sleep, I would think of her safe and sound and I would whisper how much I love her. I would hope that my whisper would cover hundreds of miles and reach her, saying to her my true feelings.

* * *

We woke up the next day at the same time and headed to the fair. We had to visit Slick's art exposition before getting ready for the Contest.

Slick's sculpture was displayed along with the other sculptures by the other members of his club. His was carved out of a five foot tall block of marble and took almost a week to complete. It was a sculpture of a Staraptor in mid flight with it's stomach mounted onto a base.

"Wow Slick, it looks so detailed." Zara remarked. I agreed with her; it was so detailed, I actually thought it might just come to life as we looked at it.

"Good isn't it." Slick told us. "Looks at those feathers; I carved every single one of them until it was perfect."

"What happens if you screw up?" Shana asked.

"You don't."Slick said seriously. Even I felt tired at the thought of having to start something like this all over again. After checking out the other members' works, we all left to have lunch.

"Participants in the Contest have to register a hour before it starts so we have to hurry." Zara said as we sat down. We hurriedly ate our lunch and said goodbye to Slick before the three of us headed for the gym. There, Philia was at desk jotting down who was registering. Shana went first, followed by Zara and then it was my turn. I registered, had Philia give me a wink as she gave me my number, felt awkward again before leaving the desk.

In a separate part of the gym, I found Shana and Zara along with all the other performers. There were forty eight of them; there weren't as many guys as there were girls.

"Hey Flare, what number did you get?" Shana asked.

I checked my number. "Um, 25."

"I got 16." Zara said. "Shana?"

"48, I'm dead last." she answered. "Everyone should already be tired of watching all the other performances by then."

"Don't worry Shana; I'm sure you'll be great out there." I said earning a smile from her.

"Y'know, the stands should be filling up now; our parents could already be there." Zara said. I just remembered that everyone was going to watch us. Zara had her parents watch, so were Shana's and me...

"I don't have anyone in that audience for me." I said with a sad sigh.

"Aren't you're parents going?" Shana asked.

"No." Thankfully, no.

"Well, you've got two girls right here cheering for you the whole way." Shana said lifting my spirits.

"Thanks Shana." I said.

"Attention all performers, we will be starting in twenty minutes." a loud voice said.

"Well that's our cue; how 'bout one more time for a good match." Zara said putting her hand in. As Shana put her paw in, I looked at her and thought. As much as I love her, I would beat her today if I had to.

I put my paw in and the three of us cheered. Afterwards, we joined the rest of the performers who were also ready for their respective performances.


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23  
**SHANA'S POV**

"Helloooooooooooooooooooo Poke-guys and girls of Central City High School!" a Bellossom yelled out taking center stage and the audience went nuts with cheering and shouting. She was standing in the middle of the basketball court which has been turned into a stage for the event. Flare, Zara and I were standing to the side watching everything on stage. Right in the middle was a large, rectangular area where the performances would be held.

"Now I wanna welcome you all to the Central City High School School Fair Pokemon Contest! I'm vice president of the Performers Club and your hostess for today; that's right, the name's Lily!" she yelled again and the crowd cheered loudly again.

"Now I'll go explain the rules here." Lily began. "48 Pokemon will go through the appeal stage and be valuated accordingly by our judges. Only the top 12 will remain and move on to the next round of competitive battling and the winner will receive this luxurious trophy!" Spotlights focused on a large golden trophy to the side of the stage.

"And now, let's meet our judges." Lily said pointing at a table where a Machop, Makuhita and Nurse Glee sat. "First, he's the one and only principal of Central City High School, Principal Marshal!"

"Hello, good day to you all." Principal Marshal said standing and waving to the crowd.

"Next, we have who some may say is my boss. President of the Performer's Club, Sumo!"

"Yes, splendid!" the Makuhita cried out.

"And last but not the least important judge, our very own school nurse, Nurse Glee!"

"Thank you, I'm looking forward to all 48 performances." Nurse Glee said after her introduction.

"Well those're our judges. Now that the introductions are we done, we can now officially start the contest so lets get started!" Lily yelled one more time and as the crowd cheered, she took a bow and welcomed the first participant in.

"Wow, it's really starting." Flare said as the first participant began to perform earning ooh's and aah's from the audience. I peered at the crowd and saw my parents in the middle row along with my Uncles Berg and Terra at their sides. Zara's parents were sitting in the row in front of them and seemed to be a bit upset about something. I realized the cause of this: just like yesterday, Slick was seated right next to them.

The first guy was done performing and the second participant was called in. Then the third, the fourth, etc. At participant number 10, Zara was already beginning to feel nervous.

"Relax, you'll be fine Zara." I said as participant number 11 stepped forward.

"I know, I just...I just..." she began taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Several minutes later, Lily spoke up.

"Now let's call up now participant number 16: Zara!"

"That's you." Flare said patting her back.

"You'll do great." I said.

"You're right." Zara said with determination. "Let's do this crap!" she cried out before taking the stage.

First, she stood in the middle and closed her eyes. She was completely still and I thought she would collapse out of stage fright or something. But then she jump, did a back flip and in the process, fired Ice Beam on the ground coating a large area with a thin layer of ice. She landed and began to skate along it firing Ice Beam again to create a path for her to skate on.

"And Zara's starting off by covering the entire stage with ice!" Lily cried out but I knew what was really going on. Zara was turning the stage into her element, an ice rink.

Zara began her main performance by skating around the stage an doing a occasional spin of flip in mid air. I caught a glimpse of her parents looking impressed by her performance. Zara then used Ice Beam to create a thin pole of ice. She skated up to it and grabbed it forcing to to spin around it at dizzying speed. She did this for a full thirty seconds before letting go and continued to skate gracefully.

"Now that looked dizzying but she's still going at it!" Lily commented.

Nearing the end of her time limit, she skated to the rightmost end of the stage; Flare and I wondered what she might do. She then skated forward at high speed and then used Ice Beam to create a large ice ramp but it was so tall that it almost reached the ceiling.

"Oh my gosh Flare, you don't think she's gonna jump that do you?" I asked not keeping my eyes off Zara.

"I don't see any other reason for the ramp." he replied as tense as I am.

Zara was now on the ramp and was speeding towards the top. At the top she was a lunched into the air and crossed her arms. "A fall from that height could kill her!" I said clutching Flare for support.

Mid air, Zara performed several flips while rotating her body. Every eye in the gym was on her though I was able to catch a glimpse of the stands; even Lily stopped commenting to watch. My mom covered her eyes; my dad, Uncles Berg and Terra were staring at Zara shocked; Slick was bitting his nails; and Zara's parents were on their feet with mouthes agape watching their daughter begin to fall.

Zara stopped spinning and fired another Ice Beam at the ground creating another ramp as big as the first one. She fell on it and safely slid down it until she reached the ground and skated all the way to center stage. As she did, the crowd went insane with cheering and clapping; my parents, Zara's, two uncles and Slick never looked so relieved.

"She did it Flare...oh crap, she actually did it!" I cried out; even the rest of the performers were impressed.

"Sh...Shana..you're...crushing me..." Flare said and I realized how hard I was holding him. I hurriedly let go and apologized allowing him to join the cheering.

"What a splendid performance Zara; now let's see what the judges think." Lily said facing the table.

"It was a great performance;she clearly has experience when it come to skating." Principal Marshal said.

"Indeed, it was truly splendid." Sumo said.

"I admit, I was actually tempted to run under her to catch her in case she fell but I guess I didn't have to. Great work Zara." Nurse Glee said.

"Well there you have it; thank you Zara for your magnificent performance." Lily said and the crowd, Flare and I, even the other competitor began cheering; Zara took one last bow before leaving the stage.


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24  
**FLARE'S POV **

"Zara, that was just...amazing." Shana said as Zara regrouped with us.

"Weren't you terrified that you might fall?" I asked.

"I admit, I kinda was." she replied. I could tell that she was still a bit giddy after her performance. "You think what I did was good enough?"

"Good enough? Those judges must be insane if they don't put you in for the next round." Shana said.

"How the heck did you practice for that?" I asked again.

Zara shrugged. "I've been doing smaller ramps and slowly made them bigger; that was the first time I used a ramp that big."

"Wow; you should't worry at all Zara. You're bound to be in the next round." Shana said one last time.

Zara smiled and left to take a break. "Y'know, after seeing her performance, I'm suddenly not too sure about my own." Shana said sadly.

"What're you talking about Shana? I'm sure you'll be great and if the judges don't say that, I will." I said and she cheered up.

The stage was cleared of all the ice and the guy after Zara was called up. "So Flare, you confident about what you're doing? "Shana asked me.

I thought about it. "Well my performance's kinda OK but there could still be better ones later."

"Well let's just do what we can alright Flare?"

"Sure thing Shana."

The one who went after Zara was an Altaria who just used Safeguard and Sing to mesmerize the crowd. He was followed by a Sunflora who used a combination of Leaf Strom and Petal Dance.

Next up was a Magmortar named Vulcan, the only Fire type in this Contest besides me. Curious to how someone of my type would perform, I decided to pay attention to what he did.

First, he stuck out his hands and fired about ten fireballs right at the audience. They screamed and several flinched away but the fireballs suddenly stopped with a faint blue light around them. Using Psychic, Vulcan pulled the fireballs back towards himself and they surrounded him.

Vulcan next fired Will-o-Wisp and also controlled that with Psychic. His main performance began to start and he made the fireballs and the Will-o-Wisps circle around him. Suddenly, he crossed his arms and the fireballs and Will-o-Wisps stopped in mid air and flew right at him. Everyone gasped and the next second, Vulcan was inside a column of orange, red, yellow and blue flames. He just stood there in the middle of it all looking very intimidating.

Neverhteless, the crowd loved his performace and after giving one last bow. He exited the stage. "Hey, that was prttey good y'know." I said to him.

Vulcan paused and looked at me. "Thank you." he said but it was barely audible. He then left to join the other perofrmers who were done.

"Strong and silent type huh? "I commented.

"Yeah and his performance was pretty good too." Shana replied. "I've never seen anyone use fire like that before."

"Well just you wait for my performance Shana." I said.

She smiled. "I will."

Contestant number 20 was called up and then number 21. I was already beginnign to feel nervous; at contestant number 23, I began to panic a little.

"Hey Flare, calm down; you'll be fine." Shana said soothingly patting my back. I felt my self become more calm but before I knew it-

"Now it's time for contestant number 25. Let's give it up for Flare!"

This was it, my turn. I honestly felt like just droppign out but Shana said: "Go on Flare, I know you'll be great." That alone gave me enough courage to continue; I took a deep breath and took center stage.

I looked up and I almost could feel everyone press against me, choking me and making it hard to breath. But I remembered that Shana was back there watching me so I disregarded everyone else and thought only about her. This performace was for her.

I began; I used Quick Attack to reach the middle top protion of the stage then I quickly turned and went diagonally down at an angle until I reach the bottom part. From there, I turned again and went diagonally upwards again but stopped mid way and went left for a while and then I quickly turned and went to the bottom of the stage and them back to the top completeting my star shapped path.

I gained speed and repeated my path over and over again until I got the hang of it. When I felt I was ready, I used Flamethrower on the ground and as I passed, I left a trail of flames on the ground.

"Amazing! Flare's combination of Quick Attack and Flamethrower has him leaving a trail of flames in his wake!" Lily took the words out of my mouth. I continued on my path while using Flamethrower and the flames I left behind intensified. Feeling that it was time for the finale, I jumped mid path into the center of the stage.

I twisted in mid air and landed on my back. From there, I used Flamethrower and spun around on my back several times causing the flames to spiral above me.

Author's Note: Think Counter Shield.

Hearing the roar of the crowd, I spun faster and put in two more streams of flames alongside the one I originally had and the three of them spiraled around each other. When I was done and satisfied, I kept spinning faster and faster and hoped that everyone else was seeing what I had imagined it should look like, a huge triple stream helix of flames in the middle of a flaming star.

The crowd cheered even louder so I thought that my plan had worked. After a few more seconds of spinning, I jumped off and landed perfectly on my feet. I did my best to avoid swaying because I was really dizzy but I was able to hold my footing.

"And he's done it! Flare's little fiery routine was just marvelously performed!" Lily called out. "Judges, what d'you make of that?"

"I feel the intensity of the flames and Flare's determination from here." Principal Marshal said.

"Splendidly fiery!" Sumo remarked.

"When one uses Quick Attack, their speed was is so great but to be able to turn so fast and and use an attack at the same time? That woudl take a lot of skill which Flare clearly possesses." Nurse Glee commented.

"Well Flare, that's what they think. Thanks for performing and we hope to see you in the next round. "Lily said and the crowd cheered my name. Feeling like an enormous weight had been lifted of my chest, I left the stage.


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25  
**SHANA'S POV**

Wow. Flare was just amazing during his performance. Like Vulcan, he used fire in a way I never would've thought of. He looked so cool spinning around like that with flames around him. He was just as good as Vulcan was.

When Flare was done and went off the stage, his legs began to wobble and he collapsed. Alarmed, I went on over to him.

"Flare, are you OK?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm fine..." he said woozily. "Shana...why's everyone using Double Team...?"

"They're not Flare. You were just amazing back there. You really impressed me."

"I...I was?" Flare blinked several time and got up; he seemed to regain his focus.

"Yeah, you're parents should've been here; they would've been surprised at how well you did."

Flare seemed to hesitate when he smiled. "Yeah well, they'd be surprised alright. Anyway, I gotta go; Zara'll probably want to comment on me too. See you later then."

He patted my back and left to join Zara in the waiting area. I was left all alone waiting tensely for my turn to come. Since I had a lot of time to myself and no one would bother me, I decided to think about my next huge challenge after the Contest: how to confess to Flare.

My plan was all figured out. Once the ball started, the first in the agenda is a nice, quaint dinner. All the tables there were for two which was perfect for me. After that, I and the rest of the choir would be called up to perform a few musical numbers for the crowd. After that, the main dancing would begin. I'd already told Mr. Specter that I would be the last to leave the choir for my turn to dance.; I didn't want to leave Flare's side after I danced with him. We would then dance and then I'd...I'd tell him.

I didn't know exactly what to say; I've been thinking about it over and over again in my mind but I kept coming up witha blank. I wasn't worried about that; I'd figure that out tomorrow but I was worried about something else.

What if Flare doesn't feel the same way about me?

That question has been bothering me for quite some time now. What if I told him I love him and then he says that he doesn't love me back? Or if he says that he doesn't love me the way I love him? What if he only sees me as his friend?

If he says no, that he doesn't return my feelings, I don't know what I'll do next. I'll be heart-broken definitely but what next? Would I be able to move on and try to forget about it or would I just let it break me for the rest of my life?

That's what's been on my minds besides my confession. Flare, would you make me feel like the happiest girl ever or the saddest one?

* * *

"Now it's time for our last performer. Performer number 48, come on stage Shana!" Lily shouted and I took center stage. I thought about how nervous Flare and Zara must've felt when they did this. My eyes traveled over to my parents; they both gave me loving smiles and I got ready to perform.

My first move was a Shadow Ball fired straight up into the air. As it traveled upwards, I used Double Team to make a copy of myself and just as the Shadow Ball began to fall, my copy and I used Dig to tunnel underground.

"Ooh, Shana's gone underground! I wonder what surprise she has for us!" I heard Lily say from underground.

"This Lily." I muttered. A trick I learned was the ability to know exactly what my copy was doing and I could make it do stuff. I made it go to the right position. I was at the 12 o'clock position and my copy was at the 6 o'clock one. Hoping that my timing was right, jumped out along with it.

My timing was spot on; my Shadow Ball was just about to hit the ground when my copy and I jumped out of the ground. Both of us used Iron Tail on the Shadow Ball and knocked it into the air again. Me and my copy crossed each other in mid air and reentered the ground opposite where we sprung up.

My copy and I both turned underground and tunneled until we were at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. We jumped out again and struck the Shadow Ball a second time. During the brief moment I was above ground, The crowd cheered as I hit my attack but then I went back underground as the Shadow Ball went up again.

This time, my copy and I stayed put and I made two more copies and made them go to the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions. Then all four of us jumped out at the same time and knocked the Shadow Ball up with Iron tail before reentering the ground opposite where we sprung up.

"Amazing, now we have four Shana's! Will she be able to handle more!" Lily shouted.

Now the tricky part came up. Having to split my focus into three copies was easy but when I made it 11, I began to have difficulty but I knew I would manage. I made all my copies get into their positions and all twelve of us sprung out of the ground and hit the Shadow Ball and the crowd went nuts. Heck, I doubt they knew which was the real me.

This time, I went with alternating pairs. I was in the 3 o'clock position and I made the one across me jump the only one to jump out the same time as I did. Our Iron Tails were slightly weaker and the Shadow Ball only went up a little but as me and my copy went underground. The 10 o'clock and 4 o'clock pair jumped out and used Iron Tail followed by the 11 o'clock and 5 o'clock pair, etc.

As the 2 o'clock and 8 o'clock pair jumped out, I prepared my finale. I made one last copy and left it where I was, the 9 o'clock position, and dug my way to the center of the stage. When the last pair was done and reentered the ground, I started the finale.

I made all twelve copies of me jump out of the ground and use Iron Tail and knocked the Shadow Ball upwards as they usually did but this time, I made my copies stay above ground and face the crowd. I could sense them wonder as they watched them wondering which was the real me. Meanwhile, I could tell the Shadow Ball was low enough so I sprung from the ground and surprised everyone at my appearance at the center of all my copies. My Shadow Ball came closer and closer and I swung my Iron Tail at it as hard as I could and it exploded into a flash of light and a shower of sparks.

As the sparks rained down on the stage the crowd went nut with cheering for me. I made all my copies bow and vanish before I myself bowed and the crowd cheered harder. I had done it.

"And that concludes the spectacular performance of the very original Shana! Now judges, do your job!" Lily called out.

"Her coordination with her copies was truly something to behold." Principal Marshal said.

"One word: splendid!" Sumo remarked.

"To split her mind and her focus into twelve copies and make them do spectacular trick, Shana is indeed one talented Pokemon." Nurse Glee added.

"And that's that! Let's give one last round of applause for Shana and for all the performers!" Lily said and the crowd started up again. I saw my parents, Zara's, Slick and my two uncles give me a standing ovation. Feeling close to tears, I thanked them all and left the stage.

"Well there you have it; all 48 performers have done their thing! We'll be taking a short break before we announce the twelve going onto the next round so stay in your seat!" Lily said as I made my way to the waiting area where all the other performers were.

I had only just got in when Zara and Flare confronted me. "Shana, why didn't you tell us you were doing something that good!" Zara exclaimed.

"That was good Shana. I mean seriously, you might have a future when it comes from performing." Flare remarked.

"I...I do? " I asked blushingly. Flare's comment seemed to push Zara's out of my mind.

"Yeah. You're bound to make it into the next round." he said with a smile.

All the other performers came in and gave their own comments about my performance. Even Vulcan said that he was impressed by what I did. With all the praise being heaped onto me, I hoped that it wouldn't get to my head.

Eventually, the time had come to reveal who would go on to the next round. The three of us and the rest of the players turned to the stage where Lily was.

"Well the judges have decided and the results are in!" she announced. She pointed upwards and a large screen began to slide down from the ceiling.

Here we go! These are the lucky twelve who're going to the next round!" Lily said. One by one pictures of performers within cards appeared on the screen. The fourth one to appear was Zara's.

"Oh my gosh, I'm in." Zara said. Flare and I congratulated her without taking our eyes off the screen.

Vulcan appeared after Zara which didn't really surprise me. More images showed up but neither Flare's nor mine appeared. After the tenth one, there were only two left. To our surprise, those last two were us.

"Flare, we did it! We're in the next round!" I cheered. flare andnI hugged each other and jumped up and down as we celebrated. Those performers who didn't make it gave sighs before leaving.

"Keep it down; she's gonna announce the match-ups." Zara said and Flare and I did.

"Now that we have our top twelve performers, it's time to shuffle 'em up and see who's fighting whom!" Lily said. Our images flipped over and appeared to be blank cars and they proceeded to shuffle themselves around the screen. Everyone was quiet and wondering the outcome of this.

The cards stopped but didn't flip over. Lily spoke to the silent crowd. "And our first match is..."

"Zara v.s. Flare!"


	26. Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26  
**FLARE'S POV **

When I first heard that Zara and I were battling first, I was definitely surprised. I turned to her and said: "Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting this."

"Me to. In fact Flare," Zara crossed her arms and smiled mischievously at me. "I've actually been looking forward to this."

"Now will performers Zara and Flare please enter the stage to commese your battle!" Lily called after us.

Zara shrugged. "Well, we're up; c'mom, let's go."

Zara left for the stage leaving me alone with Shana. "Great, I don't who I should cheer for." she told me.

"Why not for both of us?" I said to her. "We're both gonna give it our all anyway."

Shana smiled. "Well good luck then. Tell that to Zara too."

I nodded and headed of the stage; Zara was already at the other end waiting for me. "Shana says good luck." I told her.

"Hmm. I could say the same thing to you." she said with a smirk.

"OK then. Now that our first two competitors are here, I'll go explain the rules." Lily said. And image of Zara and me appeared on the screen with a bar underneath each other them and a 5 minute timer. "Our performers have 5 minutes to display their move excellently and try to delplete their opponent's points. The one with the most points after five minutes wins."

"C'mon Zara! Show that six-tailed loser what your made of!" Slice shouted from the audience.

Um, what?

"I will dad." Zara yelled back waving at him.

"So everyone, count with me to the start of the match!" Lily cried out.

"Five!"

"Four!"

Zara and I took our fighting stances. "Get ready Zara; just 'cause you're my friend, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"Three!"

"Well you heard my dad. Besides, I'm not worried at all Flare." Zara said confidently. "In fact, I know your one weakness."

"Two!"

"My weakness?" I asked. I had absolutely no idea what that was unless it was something to do with Shana.

"One!"

"FIGHT!"

Right off the bat, Zara jumped and did a back flip while firing Ice Beam in the process. I expected it to hit me and readied myself to dodge but it hit the ground in front of me covering it with ice. She continued to fire Ice Beam freezing a large area around me. Zara froze the ground under her before she landed.

"You can't skate!" she shouted happily skating away.

I just stood there frozen for several seconds at what she just said. Shana must not have told her that I was already given lessons in skating and was pretty good at it. It was so hilarious, I had to hold back a laugh. I wondered how Shana was reacting to this.

I had a huge advantage over Zara; as long as she thought that I didn't know how to skate, I could surprise her and win this match. Until then, I had to play along and pretend like I'm an inexperienced skater.

I remained in place and fired Flamethrower multiple times at Zara who was busy freezing the stage some more. Because of the speed she was going while skating, she was able to jump and dodge every attack I fired.

"Would you look at that! By turning the stage into an ice rink again, Zara's able to dodge all of Flare's attacks while maintaning a perfect posture in the process." Lily said.

"Yes, her dodging of Flare attacks isn't stopping her at all from being graceful on ice." Principal Marshal said.

"Agreed, splendid performance!" Sumo cried out.

"I too agree with the principal; Zara seems to truly belong on ice when it comes to performing and battling." Nurse Glee added.

"Well those were our judges. Flare, that's gonna cost you some points!" Lily said. I saw the bar under my picture lose some points.

"What's wrong Flare? If you wanna hit me, just step onto the ice." Zara said tauntingly. I still had some advantage here; her Ice type moves shouldn't hurt me too much and she knew that but if she uses her Dark type moves combined with those martial arts moves her mom's been teaching her, I'd be in big trouble.

"Fine then I'll just go get you!" Zara yelled skating towards me. I fired a Heat Wave at her but she did a baseball slide and went under it decreasing my points again. Eventually she got close enough and before I knew it, she kneed me in the chin causing me to fly away from my dry spot and lose more points.

I landed but I was already on slippery ice. Even though I knew how to stabilize myself, I didn't; it wasn't time yet to catch her off guard. My paws scratched the ice while I continued to move in one direction.

Zara closed in on me and grabbed my paw. She spun me once and slid me across the ice. I continue to pretend that I didn't know what to until he went right at me and delivered a solid Night Slash and kick which sent me flying again.

I was seriously loosing points and Zara still had all of hers. I had an idea that would make her lose some points. As she skated towards me ready with a kick, I spun around and used Flamethrower causing the flames to swirl around me. Zara panicked at this and stopped her advance. She was still able to dodge the flames but judging by the look on her face, she was having a hard time.

"Flare's new technique has Zara on the ropes!" Lily said and Zara finally lost a few of her points. I kept up what I was doing and hoped that it would be enough to deplete Zara's points completely.

Zara suddenly jumped over my attack and fired Ice Beam at the ground in front of me forming a large block of ice. I stopped my attack and tried to avoid it but I had too much momentum and crashed into it. At least I stopped.

Recovering, I saw Zara stop with a smirk on her face. She used Ice Beam behind her to create another block of ice. She kicked off it and came at me faster than she did while skating normally. Before she could reach me, I kicked off the block of ice and tried to get away from her but she tunred quickly and caught up with me.

She fired Ice Beam again and it went over my head and formed another block of ice in front of me. Zara jumped over me, spun gracefully in mid air and landed on it. From there, she kicked off with her fist pulled back. I couldn't do anything else so I ended up taking that punch.

I almost fainted right there but I managed to hang on. Loosing more points, I slid back from the force of her punch and crashed into the same ice block I did earlier.

"Time to end this Flare!" Zara yelled. She skated towards me and took my paw again before spinning me and sliding me towards the first ice block she made. She then skated after me ready to deliver one final blow.

I was in a bad situation; I was going to crash into the ice block and my back was turned to Zara whose next punch would beat me for sure. I agreed to what she said.

"Time to end this Zara." I muttered.

Before I could hit the ice block ahead of me, I quickly turned and made a perfect stop and immediately followed up with a Flamethrower. I got a glimpse of Zara's face, wide eyed with shock, before she was hit by my attack. She crashed right into the ice block she kicked off, broke it and crashed into the wall.

I was panting exhaustingly and the crowd was almost silent. Then Zara slowly slid to the ground eyes closed with her mouth slightly open. There was the sound of a buzzer and Lily said: "The judges have just declared Zara unable to battle! So the winner of this match is none other than Flare!"

Zara's bar became empty and the crowd started cheering for me. Tired, I tired tot hem and saw Zara's parents; Chi was staring at Zara wide eyed and Slice was actually on his feet with his mouth agape. Remembering Zara, I skated to her to make sure that she was OK.

"Zara? Hey Zara, wake up." I said shaking her slightly.

"Wah...huh? Flare? What's going on?" she asked opening her eyes groggily.

"You uh...kinda lost." I said with a small smile.

"Really?" she asked. She gave a sad sigh and shook her head. "Ah well, I had fun anyway. Thanks for the match Flare; I really thought I had you there."

"So did I. Thanks also Zara."

I helped her up and shook her hand. Together, we faced the crowd and received their cheers. Then together, Zara and I exited the stage. Shana was the first to confront us.

"I honestly don't know what to say." she admitted.

"How 'bout 'Good job Flare. You were great too Zara'." Zara said.

"Yeah. Yeah, that'll work." Shana replied.

"One more thing thought." Zara turned to me. "Since when did you learn how to skate?"

"Oh, Shana taught me when you had that date with Slick." I answered.

Zara sighed again. "If I'd known that, I could've won." She cheered up quickly. "Well, I guess I can't do anything about that. Good luck with your next matches."

And then Zara left us to join her parents at the audience. "Flare, you were just great. I mean, I was surprised that you acted like you didn't know how to skate but you pulled it off. Even I was surprised when you stopped." Shana said impressed. "I actually thought you were gonna lose.

"Well it was easier than fighting Spore." I said. "So who're you facing Shana?"

"I don't know but we're gonna find out." she answered.

The second and third matches were over. "Let's move on to match number 4: Shana v.s. Vulcan!"

"Vulcan?" Shana said worried.

I immediately rushed to ease her. "Hey look, you'll win this. I'm sure of it." I told her.

"And if I lose?" she asked.

"Why should you? I mean, yeah Vulcan looks strong but you're pretty strong yourself. I believe in you and so does Zara and Slick and your parents." I said and then I smiled. "We're all here for you Shana now get out there and wipe the floor with Vulcan."

Shana considered my words for a moment before smiling. "Thanks you Flare."

She leaned over and kissed my cheek before heading off to face Vulcan. Blushingly, I put my paw to my cheek right where she kissed me. With a sudden realization, I realized that but judging from my current plan, that was the only kiss I would get from her.


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27  
**SHANA'S POV **

"FIGHT!"

Vulcan first fired a Flamethrower out of the cannon things on his arms. I was able to dodged them but Vulcan used Psychic to take control of the stream of flames and made it go back for me. I dodged again but Vulcan repeated what he just did. Giving up, I used Dig to tunnel underground.

Dig's a Ground type move so if I could overwhelm him with it, I could win. Underground, I made several copies of myself with Double Team and while I stayed underground, I made them go up to use Dig on Vulcan. Through their eyes, I saw Vulcan dodge each other them except for one which he smacked away lowering my points a bit.

Through the eyes of one of my copies, I saw Vulcan run over to the hole I made when I used Dig and point his cannon arm into it. Knowing what was gonna happen next, I dug a separate tunnel and avoided the Flamethrower that followed my original tunnel and came out the other end. It passed right by me and I gave a sigh of relief.

But then black smoke filled up the tunnel choking me and making my eyes water. Recognizing this as Smokescreen, I tunneled to the surface and inhaled fresh air. Turning around, I saw Vulcan fire a Will-o-Wisp but I cancelled it out with my Shadow Ball knocking down his points a bit.

"Outstanding! Vulcan and Shana seem to be equally matched. Only time will tell who remains in the end!" Lily called out.

"You're not too bad Vulcan." I said to him.

"Neither are you Shana." He ended his sentence by shooting a fireball at me. It used Iron Tail on it and sent it right back at him but he used Psychic to stop it before it hit him. He fired it again but this time combined it with Will-o-Wisp. I was struck painfully by both attacks and I quickly used Dig to escape.

Underground, I thought of my next move. I decided to use a technique I heard from my mom which she called Copy Rush. I made several copies of myself, around ten, and made them all rush to the surface and attack Vulcan. I made half of them use Iron Tail while the other half used Shadow Ball to try to overwhelm Vulcan.

Vulcan was struck by a few attacks but was able to stand strong. He swatted a few of my copies away but the rest still continued their assault with Iron Tail and Shadow Ball. Then, I surfaced and blended in with my copies so that he wouldn't be able to tell me apart. Then, together with my copies, I rushed at Vulcan.

He looked alarmed at first but then he countered. He made two Flamethrowers come out of his arms and then went into a spin. He spun around getting faster and faster until he became a great flaming tornado. I tired to pull back but I couldn't. Me and all of my copies were struck by it causing my copies to vanish and me to be knocked several feet away.

"I would like to thank Flare for giving me the idea for that more." Vulcan said.

"Yeah, Flare's performance was just awesome." I replied recovering. Vulcan fired Will-o-Wisp and I responded by using Double Team to make four copies of myself. We all moved to dodge the attack and now Vulcan looked confused wondering which one was the real me. All of us fired Shadow Ball and knocked him back several feet.

Vulcan recovered and used Smokescreen to cover the area. I couldn't see him so me and my copies readied ourselves for any attack. A Flamethrower came out of the smoke and I barely dodged it. One of my copies was hit and vanished; thinking fast, I made two copies and made them go underground for the time being.

I fired Shadow Ball forward and cleared the smoke a little. I found Vulcan but before I could do anything, he used Psychic to pick me and my copies up. As I struggled, he slammed each of my copy on the ground in an effort to find the real me. Soon I was the only one left but before he could do anything, I made my two underground copies hit him with Dig. His concentration was broken and I fell to the ground and gave him a solid Iron Tail right to his face.

The crowd roared with my hit and Vulcan was sent reeling back. I had one last trick up my sleeve; I made five copies and made them all go underground.

"That attack won't work this time." Vulcan said firing a Flamethrower. I jumped to the side to avoid it but he controlled it again with Psychic which is exactly what I wanted. The flames went back for me and I continued to dodge each one buying my time. Vulcan fired another Flamethrower and now there were two streams of fire chasing after me.

I dodged one but the other hit me while my back was turned. Slightly singed, I recovered and dodged the next two attempts to hit me. I only needed to do this for ten more seconds and this match would be over.

I counted down in my head as I continued to dodge. When my ten seconds were up, I looked at the screen and saw that we had 50 seconds left which was plenty of time for me. I dodged one last Flamethrower and fired a Shadow Ball at Vulcan's legs. Once his legs bent, I started hoping that my plan would work.

He jumped high into the air and my Shadow Ball went under him; my points went down a bit but I didn't care. When he landed, the ground at his feet cracked. With an alarmed face, he looked down to see the ground give way causing him to fall into a deep pit. Still wondering what was going on, my five copies which were underground rushed out of the sides of the pit and used Iron Tail. He crossed his arms to shield himself but I jumped on top of him and used Iron Tail right on the crown on his head. Finished, I jumped off him and he knelt down panting and wheezing.

"Time! Our five minutes have just ran out so now let's see who has more points!" Lily said. Every eye in the building turned to the screen. Both Vulcan and I had less than half our original points but I had more points than him. "And judging from the points, it looks like the winner of this match is Shana!"

"I won..." I whispered as the crowd went wild while chanting my name. I smiled and waved at them until I saw Vulcan exhaustingly pull himself out of the pit.

"But how..." he asked confused.

I shrugged at him. "Those five copies I sent underground weren't gonna attack you immediately; I had them dig under you to distablize the ground. All I needed you to do was jump and the ground gave way."

Vulcan smiled at me. "I've been bested; well done Shana. I'm going back to training and afterwards, may I please face you again?"

"Sure, I'll look forward to it." I replied. With no hard feelings for each other, we left the stage together.

"Shana, I didn't know you were that good at battling." Flare said completely impressed.

"Yeah, I've sparred several times before; never lost once." she said.

"I bet even the battling club would want you. If our president was watching, he'd talk to you first chance he gets."

"Nah, I decline; I'm fine with the choir."

Flare and I smiled; somehow, the idea of being in the same club with Flare doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Match after match followed; Flare and I fought our hardest and took out each opponent we faced. Several were tough and many times our own size; we almost lost a few matches but we always triumphed in the end. Several matches later, there were only two participants left.

* * *

"Hello everyone! The time has come for the final match, a match whose victor will walk home carrying this trophy!" Lily said excitedly. "On this side, a member of the school choir and sometimes called the golden voice of Central City High, daughter of our nation's one and only leader Shade, let's give it up for Shana!"

I stepped on stage and Lily faced the opposite end. "And on this side, a member of the schools battling club and one fiery competitor, personal body guard of his opponent, let's all welcome Flare!"

Flare walked on stage and our eyes met. This was it the final battle between me and Flare. I would disregard everything, even my feelings for him, and focus on the match.

"Now let's count down to the final match!"

"FIVE!"

Flare and I took our stances. "Don't hold back Shana because I sure won't." he told me.

"FOUR!"

"I knew you'd say that." I replied. "Get ready to lose Flare."

"THREE!"

"Oh I don't expect to." he said slyly.

"TWO!"

"Here we go." I whispered. Our eyes were still locked. One last count from Lily and we would be at each other.

"ONE!"

BOOM!

A loud earth shaking explosion interrupted the count down. Flare and I dropped our stances as several more explosions were heard one after the other making the ground shake a little. The entire gym was silent; they were all probably thinking the same thing I was.

What the hell's going on?

Suddenly, a Milktank came running covered in ash and smoke. He tripped once and fell on the ground. Then he slowly got up and, with a panicked face, he said:

"R...REBELS!"


	28. Chapter 28

Uh, hey. Listen, my school's started up again so I'm back to one update a week.

* * *

CHAPTER 28  
**FLARE'S POV**

Damn it...crap...crap crap crap crap damn damn DAMN! This is bad; this is very very bad!

It was pandemonium in the gym; right after that Milktank's warning, there were screams of fright as the audience tried to evacuate the building. More explosions came from outside; the rebels must've found some resistance. In the audience, I saw Shade and Shine try to get to Shana before they were escorted away while being heavily guarded by Slice, Chi, Berg and Terra.

"Shana, this way!" Protective instincts kicking in, I gestured Shana to follow me backstage. Together we ran backstage and looked for an exit.

I was seriously panicking at that moment; if the rebels find us, especially since I'm not using the confusion to try to kill Shana, we would surely and swiftly be killed. Passing by several frightened students and workers, Shana and I continued on towards the exit.

"Flare, my mom and dad!" Shana cried out fearfully.

"They'll be fine; I saw them. They were heavily guarded." I said back to her. We raced through a corridor and made for the other end.

Before we could reach there however, a Carnivine showed up and ran in the opposite direction while yelling: "They've gotten in! They're in the building!"

Crap! Shana and I froze and heard hurried footsteps coming from the corridor ahead. I turned around and saw Shana taking a few steps back; she was just as terrified of facing the rebels as I was.

But at that moment, a cloud of smoke covered the area; Shana and I couldn't see through it but I felt someone run past us. "Go! I'll hold them off!" a voice from within the smoke yelled.

"Vulcan?" I asked surprised. Then, I heard him shoot a fireball.

"I said go!" he yelled. Thanking him, I took Shana with me and left to find another exit.

Another student came running past us and yelled out: "They're after me! Run for your lives!" Sensing rebels ahead, I looked around and found a supply closet. I threw the door open, let Shana and myself in and locked the door.

It was a small room filled with mops and cleaning supplies. Shana and I held our breaths; Through a crack in the side of the door, I saw several Pokemon I knew to be rebels run right past us. "You heard the boss! Get Shade or Ms. Jewel'll kill us!" I heard one of them yell. Soon they ran down the corridor and were out of sight.

I sighed in relief and turned to Shana who was panting tiredly from all the running that we did. She looked scared; I could tell not only about herself but also her parents and friends.

"Shana, listen to me, I"m gonna get you outta here. I'll find you're parents and take you back to them." I said to her.

"But Flare..." she began. "What if...what if we get..."

I held her paws tightly as I spoke. "I'm here Shana; I'll protect you. If anyone so much as thinks of hurting you, I'll be at your side no matter what."

Shana gulped and then nodded. I opened the door slightly and looked up and down the corridor finding no one. I exited the closet and told Shana to follow me. "We'll have to find another exit." I said.

"Vulcan's still probably holding some rebels off where he is so we can't pass there." Shana said. "We could try the main entrance."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Shana and I took off and headed for the main entrance.

"Wait." Shana said and we stopped; we just had to turn and we would be at the main entrance. Shana shushed me and used Double Team to make a copy of herself. The copy walked forward a bit and peered at the entrance.

"This's bad; two rebels are guarding the entrance. What do we do?" Shana asked.

Before I could answer, I heard the rebels speak near the entrance. "Hey, what's that? A Student? Get her!"

Shana had forgotten to make her copy vanish but it was already too late. Thinking fast, I looked around and saw a window next to us. Instinctively, I grabbed Shana and, holding her tightly, jumped out of the window. The glass shattered and I got a few scratches but Shana was totally unharmed. I carried her over to a bush and hid her there.

"You OK Shana?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah but-" But then we heard screams and we peered out of the bush.

It was indescribable. Several stalls were on fire while students and other civilians ran for their lives. But the rebels, about fifty of them, were there and they showed absolutely no mercy at all. Several Pokemon, students, civilians and the local authorities, tried fighting back against the rebels. Several other Pokemon laid wounded begging for help. Luckily, a few remaining Pokemon brought them out of harm's way.

Shana was clutching me tightly; looking back at her, I saw that she was absolutely terrified about what was happening before us. "Don't worry Shana, I'll get you somewhere safe." I told her.

"But...but my mom and dad..."

"They're fine. I'll get you back to them even if it kills me." Shana nodded and then we slowly began to creep out of the bush. If we could make it to the school gates, we could leave and I could take Shana home. Only thing is, we'd have to get past several rebels along the way.

We made it to a nearby stall that wasn't on fire. Checking the surroundings, I found up ahead the rubble from a broken stall. Shana and I crept from our current hiding place and safely made it to the pile of rubble and hid behind it.

The rebels were strong but a lot of them were really stupid; none of them noticed us when we crept by. They were too busy fighting which was good because I didn't know what to say to them if they found us.

There was an explosion behind us as an attack got deflected and flew off in our direction. "That was close." Shana said and I agreed while keeping silent. There was another undamaged stall before us and we crept there unnoticed.

We were making progress but we were still far away from the school gate. The rebels kept up the fight and were busy fighting back those who tried to fight them off. Given how fast we were moving, I thought it would take at least an hour before we can make it our of the school.

There was then a loud battle cry as Coach Aurora came running in waving around her Bone Club. "No one touches my students!" she yelled as she ran around smacking as many rebels as she could. One rebel, a Marshtomp, was able to strike her down with Mud Shot. As he moved in to kill her, he was blasted aside as the rest of the teachers showed up and fought the rebels.

"Looks like the whole faculty is here." Shana commented. Surely, they were told to leave for their own safety but they came back anyway to protect their students.

"Let's leave the fighting to them." I replied and we continued on towards the gate.

The teachers, students and local authorities were doing a good job at holding back the rebels. Meanwhile, Shana and I made it to what used to be a tent for the fortunetelling club and hid under it. But then the battle spilled over to the area in front of us. If we moved forward, we'd surely be caught up in it.

"Great, what now?" I muttered.

"I've got an idea." Shana said. I turned to her and saw her use Dig to tunnel underground. I followed her into the tunnel making the sounds from the battle become faint.

"We could just tunnel our way to the gate; that way no one would see us." Shana told me.

"But what if we surface in the middle of the battle?" I asked.

"I'll send up a copy before surfacing." Agreeing with Shana, I followed her as she continued to tunnel.

"I thought you hated going underground." I remembered.

"Not if I want to. Besides, there're more things I'm concerned about right now." Shana stopped and looked up. She made a copy of herself tunnel to the surface and poke its head out.

"Well?" I asked.

"We've moved forward but we've drifted a little to the left." Shana told me making her copy disappear. She adjusted and we were continuing on.

We were a lot faster traveling this way. Though we couldn't see how the battle was going on, Shana and I were able to safely make our way to the gate. Every now and then, Shana would sent a copy of herself to the surface to check on the area.

"We're almost at the gate Flare; it won't be too long now." Shana told me. I nodded and then we continued on getting closer and closer to the gate.

"Hey, what's this?" a rough voice from where Shana's last copy tunnel to the surface said. Shana and I froze in place.

"Some kid thinks he can get away; get down there!" another rebel shouted.

"Shana keep going; I'll try to buy us some time." I said. Shana nodded and continued tunneling forward.

Meanwhile, I turned around and waited for that rebel to poke his head underground. When he finally did, I unleashed a massive Heat Wave that traveled along the tunnel all the way up to the surface. The rebel who poked his head underground shrieked and pulled his head up but he was already burned by my attack. After that, I rushed to the other end of the tunnel before they could retaliate.

I followed the tunnel until I reached a point where it went upwards. I went up it and found Shana waiting for me. We surfaced right in the middle of a street but that really wasn't important right now. Before anyone could noticed us, Shana and I headed for home.

* * *

"Shana!" Shade and Shine cried out as we entered the office.

"Mom...dad..." Shana said as her parent ran up to embrace her. Also in the room were Slice, Chi, Terra, Berg and Zara.

"We were so worried about you." Shade said.

"I"m fine dad; it's all thanks to Flare here." Shana replied facing me. Shade walked over to me.

"I don't know how to thank you Flare. Shana may not be here right now if it weren't for you." he told me.

"You're welcome sir. I'm always happy and willing to protect Shana." I replied.

Shade smiled at me. "Putting her protection in your hands was the wisest choice I've made. Now why don't you take a break Flare; I'll handle things from here."

"Thanks sir." I replied. And then I left the office and headed to my room. Even though it was still the middle of the afternoon, I slept and didn't wake up until the next day.


	29. Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29  
**SHANA'S POV **

The rebel's attack only lasted a little over an hour. The combined efforts of the local authorities, students and teachers were too much for them and they retreated before they could be captured. There were only about fifty of them which was small compared to their massive numbers I've heard about. According to a report my dad received, they attacked because they knew he was in the gym at that time; how the rebels knew that, none of us knew.

Several Pokemon were injured and there was only one death. Unfortunately, it was someone we knew, someone who tried to fight off the rebels and was killed by them-Vulcan. The four of us were there at his funeral and my dad publicly announced that he wouldn't stop at nothing to make sure his death wasn't in vain.

My dad also doubled up the security at home; now we had even more guards here than usual. Meanwhile, due to damage from the rebel attack, school was called off for a week as they made repairs. Honestly, no one really complained about that.

But I was complaining about one thing; the ball was canceled and I was more than disappointed. I was so looking forward to dancing with Flare and confessing my feelings to him but now, I just lost the opportunity. I just don't want to tell him out of the blue that I love him; I want it to be...special. What if I never get another chance? What am I gonna do?

For safety reasons, our parents said that Zara, Flare and I can't leave the house until school starts; Vulcan's funeral was our only exception. So we were stuck at home almost bored to death. Zara was complaining that she hasn't seen Slick since the rebel attack ended. Her parents however, weren't complaining.

But all that changed after the first three days. We were in Zara's room playing cards. Right in the middle of our game of black jack, my mom showed up at the door.

"Yeah mom, what's up?" I asked her.

"I've got this letter here for Flare." she replied.

"For me?" Flare asked. He hoped off Zara's bed and got an envelope from my mom. He opened it and read it quickly. For some reason, I thought I saw a panicked look on his face.

"What is it Flare? Who's it from?" I asked.

He seemed to regain his composure when he answered. "It's from my parents. They're asking me to come home tomorrow."

"Really? How come?" Zara asked.

"They said they heard about the rebel attack and they got worried about me. They want me to go home tomorrow so they can check on me."

Flare turned to my mom. "Y'think I can go?" he asked.

"Sure. After what happened, any parent would be concerned over their child. I'm sure Shade will let you take tomorrow off. So when are you leaving?"

"Uh, my parents want me to leave in the morning; I'll be back after dinner."

"OK. I'll go tell Shade." My mom left and Flare hopped onto the bed.

"OK Flare, it's your turn." Zara, our dealer, said and we resumed our game.

"Hit me." Flare replied and Zara dealt him a card.

"Shana?" I was asked.

I had two 10's in my hand. "I'll stay."

"I'll stay too." Zara said. "Flare?"

"Hit me."

Zara dealt him another card. "Hit me." Puzzled, Zara dealt him his fifth card. "Hit me."

"Uh Flare, you've already got five cards." Zara pointed out.

"Hit me." Flare said blankly.

Something seemed to be wrong with him. Worried, I asked: "Flare, you alright?"

"Hit me."

Zara and I looked at each other. Then, without warning, Zara just slapped Flare and knocked him off the bed.

"What did you do that for?" I said angrily as I helped him to his feet.

"He kept telling me to hit him so I did." Zara said defensively.

"Thanks Zara; I needed that." Flare said as I helped him up.

"What's wrong Flare? You were talking blankly back there." I asked.

"I"m fine; really, I am." he answered but I wasn't totally convinced. "Can you two give me a minute? I'll just go to the bathroom."

Flare left the room and I turned to Zara. "Something's wrong with Flare Zara. I think it's got something to do with his parents."

"Maybe you should go talk to him." she suggested.

"Yeah, maybe I should." I left Zara's room and headed for the bathroom which door was closed. I waited for a few minutes until the door opened and Flare stepped out.

"Shana?"

"Yeah, seriously Flare, is there something wrong?" I asked him.

"No. No there isn't Shana." he replied shaking his head.

"Then why did you panic a little when you read your parents' letter?" I pressed further.

"I didn't panic. I was just...surprised, that's all." he said defensively.

"Surprised?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"Yeah. I mean, my parents aren't home that often and we don't really spend much time together. I'm surprised that they're actually home and we can catch up."

"Uh huh. Flare," I took out the disappointment in my voice and replaced it with worry and concern. "Is there something about your parents that you're not telling anyone?"

"What're you talking about Shana? My parents are kind and respectable business owners." Flare answered quickly. "If they had something to hide, don't you think I'd tell you?"

He had a good point there. I sighed and said: "Alright then. I'm sorry for this whole interrogation thing Flare."

"Don't worry about it Shana; I'm just visiting, that's all." Flare said.

"Yeah but maybe..." I sighed sadly and looked away from him. "Maybe I'm just worried about you. I mean, it's still kinda dangerous to go out. What if you get involved with rebels or something?"

Flare placed a paw on my shoulder and I looked at him again. "If it'll make you feel any better Shana, I'll watch out for myself tomorrow; I'll make sure I'm perfectly fine."

I smiled a little. "Yeah, I do feel kinda reassured."

"Besides, why would the rebels target me?" he asked. "So what if I'm your guard; they'll be more focused on you and your parents. I'm pretty insignificant compared to you three."

"I don't think you're insignificant at all Flare." I told him.

Flare stared at me for a while. "Thanks Shana; that really means a lot to me."

"I know that." For some reason, I kept on going and saying everything that popped into my head. "I mean, Zara, Slick, my parents, Zara's, nobody here thinks you're not important, especially me. And Flare, I don't think you're important just because you're my guard and responsible for my protection." A deepening blush appeared on my face as I continued.

"You're important to me Flare because you're someone I can't imagine not being with me. That's why I'm so worried about you leaving the house tomorrow 'cause something bad might happen. I understand that you want to see your parents but I don't want anything bad to happen to you. If anything does happen...I don't know how I'd take it. I just can't stand seeing you hurt because I..."

I froze right in the middle of my sentence. "Uh...Shana?" Flare said.

I continued to stare at him as my blush deepened. "I...I..." This was it, my moment. I just had to say three simple words but saying them was a lot more complicated. C'mon, just three simple words.

"Flare I...I...I l..."

"There you two are!" A shout from behind me made me flinch and I turned around to see Zara marching towards us looking annoyed. "Have you two forgotten that we've got a black jack game going on?"

"Oh, I uh...kinda forgot about that." Flare said.

Zara sighed. "C'mon you two, we've got a game to finish."

As the three of us headed back to her room, I couldn't help but get really upset that Zara interrupted me right in the middle of my confession. I continued to feel that way even until we got back to her room and resumed our card game.

"OK, I'm out." Flare said throwing his cards in after he looked at them.

"And I've got: 19." Zara said putting her cards down. "How 'bout you Shana?"

In reply, I slammed my cards down and cried out: "TWENTY!" Flare and Zara jumped at my reaction.

"Whoa, what was that for?" Zara asked me.

I took a deep breath. "Payback." I said through gritted teeth and I walked out without another word.


	30. Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30  
**FLARE'S POV **

I just didn't understand why everything seemed to go downhill.

First was the rebel attack that nearly got Shana and I killed and killed Vulcan. Next was the cancellation of the ball which totally screwed up my plans and worst of all was the invitation by my "parents" to go see them. It's a damn triple attack.

I had absolutely no idea about the attack which made sense since I didn't have any contact with them for a long time. And if I were "accidentally" killed there, I doubt they would've minded. Somehow, they knew about the contest and by extension, Shana's involvement which meant Shade would be in the gym.

There was no more ball; my last chance to spend one last wonderful moment with Shana before leaving her was gone. How could I leave her now without taking one last memory of her with me?

That letter I received really caught me off guard. My "parents" weren't worried at all. This was probably a ploy to interrogate me about the events so far and why I haven't killed Shana yet. Surely, they'd be furious and demand answers. I just hoped that whatever I tell them would be good enough.

Three bad events just happened to me. I could only fear what would happen next.

* * *

I woke up the next day feeling tense and nervous because of my visit today. I would have to put on a fake face when I'm in the company of the others so that they won't notice just how nervous I was.

"I'll be on my way then. "I said after breakfast. I was st the entrance along with Shade, Shana and Zara.

"You take care on your way there." Shade said. "There could still be rebel activity going on."

Of course there's rebel activity; why d'you think I'm going? "Don't worry sir; I'll watch out for myself."

"Flare..." Shana began before hesitating. "Please be careful."

I couldn't help but smile at her. "I will Shana. I'll be back after dinner; bye everyone." The three of them bade me good bye and then I was off. Turning at a corner, I lost sight of them as I began my journey "home".

My "home" was in Crimson City and the quickest way there was with Teleport. I found a station and after paying, an Abra accompanied me and we both vanished.

We reappeared inside a similar station in the heart of Crimson City. I gave the Abra a tip before he saluted me and teleported back to Central City. I left the station and entered the bustling streets of Crimson City.

I still had a long way to go so I got started right away. I had passed this way when I first went to apply for my guard job and a lot's changed ever since. The news about the school rebel attack seemed to have spread even here. Everyone I passed seemed to be tense and worried. They all kept to themselves and minded their own business.

Passing through several tense faces, I finally arrived at my "house" about thirty minutes later. It looked like a normal house just like any other house owned by the rebels. I paused in front of the front door and placed my paw on it. My heart raced and I started to panic a little; I delayed opening it for several seconds before sucking in my gut and throwing it opened.

There they were sitting patiently at the dining room table awaiting my visit. My "parents", two Ninetales named Pyro and Cynder. They eyes turned to me when the door opened and I sheepishly entered the room.

"Sir. Ma'am." I said nodding to them.

"We have so much to discuss Flare but this isn't the place." Cynder said.

She and Pyro stood up and went to the basement and I followed. It was pretty empty but the real secret was on the wooden floor on the top left corner of the room. Pyro did the secret knock, two quick knocks then a five second pause before a single knock followed by four quick knocks, on the floor. It was soft but there was a Clefable at the other end who heard the knock.

"What is in my hand?" came a voice from under the floor. The only way in was a password to be recited by the three of us.

"A dagger." Pyro answered.

"In my mouth?"

"Venom." Cynder answered.

"And what is on my mind?"

I knew the answer. "Murder." I answered.

The floor slid open revealing the Clefable on the other side. He accompanied the three of us as we descended into a tunnel, one of the many tunnels of the rebels' underground base.

I haven't been there in a long time but nothing's changed. They tunnels were still filled with rebels resting and waiting for their next assignment. cold, evil and unforgiving faces turned to us as we passed. Every time we passed here, we passed right by the prison where they stored all the captured Pokemon for torturing.

As we passed, a horrible begging scream came from the prison. As soon as I recognized it as a girl's, I knew instantly that she was getting just as bad as torture. I stopped in my track as more begging screams sounded. I felt sick; I started gagging and choking and felt like vomiting. Unfortunately, Pyro and Cynder heard me.

"Hurry up! We don't have all day." the latter said sharply. Showing weakness here is almost the same thing as suicide. Regaining my composure, I covered my ear in an attempt to block out the screaming and continued on.

How I hated passing there.

"We're we going?" I asked.

"You'll see soon enough." Pyro answered.

I did a few minutes after. We arrived at a place called The Table. I heard nearly stopped there; that was the meeting place of everyone who's allowed to speak directly to Dart, in other words, in his old team. Everyone here had to consult with them before they want anything done.

In the middle of the room was a large table with many chairs around it. The Clefable left and the three of us sat down waiting for the others too arrive.

"Your performance this far isn't very good." Cynder said breaking the silence.

"What d'you mean? "I asked nervously.

"You are currently failing the mission you were assigned." Pyro answered.

"But...I I can ex-"

"Silence!" he yelled back at me. "We have decided to take this up to the superiors and let them decide your fate."

Before I could say anything else, Dart's team arrived and took their seats. I knew every one of them: Jewel the heartless commander, Peter head of information gathering, Ente in charge of mission giving and Cenduo in charge of training. They sat down and were silent for several seconds until Jewel held up a piece of paper and began to read.

"Dear sir and ma'am," she began. "Hello and good day. The Central City High School school Fair is having a Pokemon Contest on its second day and your son Flare is participating along with my daughter Shana. It would great if you would come to watch your son and to finally meet you face-to-face. Sincerely, Shade."

After reading, Jewel threw the letter on the table. It slid across it until it was in front of me. "Y'know, I gotta thank Shade for this." Jewel said. "If it hadn't been for this letter, we never would've known where he was when we attacked. Thanks also for joining the contest Flare."

I couldn't move out of shock. Jewel was right; if I hand't joined that contest, the attack wouldn't have happened. It was my fault, my fault that the rebels attacked, my fault that Shana was nearly killed, my fault that Vulcan was dead.

"We were this close to killing Shade that day." Cenduo said. "We heard you were alone with Shana that time; why didn't you kill her?"

All eyes were on me; I gulped before answering. "Well...there were too many witnesses around so-"

"So why didn't you lure her somewhere you could kill her without anyone noticing?" Ente questioned.

"I...uh..." I stammered. "It didn't really cross my mind. The rebels were walking around killing everyone in sight. I thought that if they saw me, they'd kill me thinking that I was just a student. That made me panic a little."

The four of them started muttering to each other. I gave a small sigh of relief before they spoke up again.

"You had time to practice for a damn contest but not to kill Shana?" Peter asked sharply. "Did you even try killing her?"

"Well..." I said feeling nervous again. "I was considering it but a good time never showed up."

"What about when she was asleep?" Ente asked.

"She's uh...a light sleeper."

"Light sleeper eh? Our sources say that she's like her dad; she's anything but a light sleeper." Peter pointed out.

"Yeah well...I'm the only one who can wake her up." I replied. It was the truth but I doubted they would believe me.

"The only one?" Jewel asked.

"That...That's right ma'am." I answered. The four of them looked at each other before turning to Cynder and nodding. Before anything else, Cynder smacked the back of her paw to my cheek painfully and knocked me off my chair.

"What kind of lame excuse is that!" Peter yelled.

"Bu...But I-" I began but didn't finish.

"No; I don't wanna listen to your damn excuses. Just answer me this: why haven't you killed Shana yet?" Peter roared.

I gulped again; things were starting to look bad. If I told them the truth, it wouldn't be pretty. "Because...because..." And then:

"BECAUSE SHE'S DYING RIGHT NOW!" I shouted; I started panting like I was running; everyone's eyes narrowed.

"Dying right now?" Ente asked.

"Yes; well...slowly that is." I lied. "I uh...I've just recently slipped some slow acting poison into her food and after about a week, she'll just drop dead. I'll make my getaway before that."

The four of them began speaking to each other again. I can't believe I admitted that I attempted to kill Shana. It wasn't true but I felt just horrible about it. But this could work out for me.

"Fine then, we'll give you one last chance." Cenduo said seriously. "If Shana isn't dead in one week, we'll kill her ourselves."

I stood there horrified about the idea. No...they couldn't...they wouldn't...

No. They would and could.

"One week." Jewel said holding up a finger. "Now get outta here!"

Pyro and Cynder stood up and I was forced to leave with them. I was shaking a little when we left the Table. "Don't think you've fooled us." Pyro told me.

"What're you-"

"You lied about the poisoning didn't you?" he said sharply. "You may have fooled them but you can't fool us."

"So why didn't you say anything?" I asked.

"We love watching you fail." Cynder replied. "And I've a feeling that this would be you biggest failure ever."

The two of them laughed maniacally and then Cenduo approached us. "Where d'you think you're going?"

"Uh...back to the city sir." I answered.

"No; time for a change in plans. You haven't been training since you started your mission. You're skills could use some polishing."

"But-" But once again, I was interrupted, something that always happened here.

"Shut up. Get over to the training grounds and do laps and push ups!"

"When do I stop sir?" I asked fearing the answer.

"I dunno. Uh...until I feel like it." Cenduo answered.

Unfortunately for me, Cenduo didn't tell me to stop even when my body was screaming in pain. I started doing the laps and push ups he told me to do but he kept making me repeat them. I didn't even have lunch and when I complained about hunger, he gave me a half eaten Sitrus Berry he found on the ground and told me to continue after eating. I did so and I continue to train while my stomach growled for more food.

I couldn't tell how much time had passed since I went underground. Soon, it was nighttime or at least I thought it was nighttime. I asked Cenduo for dinner and he said no and that I had to do this for three more hours before I could go.

I was so tired after those last three hours, I was trembling slightly. I was weak, sleepy, hungry and close to fainting. Cenduo dismissed me and Pyro and Cynder escorted me back to the city. Eventually, we were at my "house" and, judging by the sky, it was already late at night.

"Ten days." Cynder said warningly but I was too tired to say anything else. I nodded at them and dragged my feet out of there and headed for the station so I can teleport back to Central city.

"Where to sir?" a Staryu there asked me. I opened my mouth to say Central City but I realized something.

This was my chance; there's a station just along the outskirts of the nation and if I go there...I could leave the nation and never look back. The rebels will see me as a traitor and go after me while Shana would be safe.

Shana...

My heart raced and my breath became ragged. This was it, the moment I have to leave Shana forever. I was expecting this moment for a long time but it's only now that I knew how I'd feel. My mind was in a whirl and the choice was presented to me. Leave or stay? Leave or stay? Leave or stay?

What do I do?


	31. Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31  
**SHANA'S POV **

"I'll be on my way then." Flare said after breakfast. Me, my dad and Zara were at the entrance to bid him goodbye.

"You take care on your way there." my dad said. "There could still be rebel activity going on."

That's right. That was my number one worry about Flare leaving. I'm just so worried that might get caught up with the rebels or something all Flare said in reply was: "Don't worry sir; I'll watch out for myself."

"Flare..." I hesitated at first. I was almost tempted to suggest going with him just to make sure he would be OK. I didn't have the courage to do that so all I said was: "Please be careful."

He looked at me and smiled. "I will Shana." said truthfully. "I'll be back after dinner; bye everyone."

We all said goodbye to him as he walked down the street. Turning at a corner, he disappeared from sight not knowing how much I hoped for his safety. "Don't worry Shana; I'm sure Flare will be fine." my dad said as if he read my mind like what most parents seem to be able to do.

"Yeah I know but still..." I said worriedly.

"He'll be fine; trust me and trust him." he said reassuringly. "C'mon, let's all go back inside."

The three of us went back in and separated. My dad went to his office, Zara left to go mediating with her mom and I decided to go to my room. As soon as I arrived, I realized how lonely I was without Flare. He's only been gone for a few minutes and I already miss him**; **I hope he gets home soon, safe and sound.

As I walked over to my bed to lie down, I spotted my small box under it. I reached under my bed and took out a small square wooden box with a lock. I hopped onto my bed and got the key from under the mattress. Unlocked the box and stared at its contents.

It wasn't exactly a personal treasure I found it when I was younger and put it in here in case I needed it. Back then, I already knew what it was and kept it hidden under my bed; no one but me knew about it.

I sighed and hid the box under my bed and the key under the mattress. Now, I had nothing to do at least, until after lunch when Zara would be done meditating so I laid down and took a nap.

* * *

"Wake up Shana, your lunch's getting cold." my mom's voice said as she shook me.

I groaned and woke up. "It's kinda not the same if Flare's not the one waking me up." I said sadly.

"I know; it took me twenty minutes to get you up." my mom said. I got up and we headed for lunch.

"It's just not the same without Flare around." I said as we walked.

"Well it won't have to be like this for long now. He said he'll be back after dinner." she replied.

She was right about that and that cheered me up a bit. "You're right mom but I still miss him."

We reached the dinning room and sat down for lunch. We were with my dad, Zara, Uncles Slice, Scuttle and Levi and my Aunt Chi. "So dad, any more news about rebel activity?" I asked.

"None so far. They seem to be quieting down after they attacked the school." my dad replied. "Why do you ask?"

"She's still worried about Flare Uncle Shade." Zara replied.

"And she still misses him." my mom added. Everyone seemed to pile stuff on me and I felt slightly embarrassed.

"I wonder what he's doing now?" I asked out loud.

"Probably spending time with his parents. He hasn't seen them in months." my dad answered. "I bet he's enjoying himself."

With that, lunch ended and Zara had some free time. "Hey Shana, we haven't sparred in a while now; c'mon, what do you say?"

I sighed. "Well alright, I don't have any other plans anyway." I answered. For our own protection, my Uncle Levi decided to go with us as we went to the rooftop garden to spar.

"OK. Let's get started." Zara said taking a fighting stance.

I took one too. "I'm ready when you are Zara." She nodded and the two of us lunged at each other.

Several sparring matches later...

"DWAAAAH!" Zara screamed as my Iron Tail knocked her upwards. She fell into a crumpled heap and tried getting up.

"That makes 8-0 to me Zara." I said panting.

"Wow, you're good Shana." my Uncle Levi said impressed. "I can see why you made it so far in the contest."

"Yeah, she's really strong isn't she." Zara said getting up.

"Tell me something Zara..." I began. "Am I stronger than Flare?"

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot repeatedly. "Hmm...I dunno. You're kinda on the same level as him if you ask me. Heck, you don't know how much I wanted to see that final match between you two."

So I'm as strong as Flare huh? To now, I still wonder what the outcome of our match would've been. Then again, that caused me to think of him and I went back to missing him.

"Alright, one last time!" Zara yelled charging at me with Night Slash. I let her hit me and got sent back a few feet. She smiled satisfyingly but before she hit me, I sent a copy underground. The copy sprung up and hit Zara's back with Iron Tail causing her to fall down again.

"9-0 Zara." I pointed out.

"OK, I give up. Can we go have dinner now?" she asked. I smiled and helped her up and we left to have dinner.

Now that dinner was over, it meant that Flare would be back any minute now. It was a little past seven o'clock. Excited about seeing him again, I went over to my room and waited there knowing that I would be the first person he'd go to. I sat down on my bed and waited.

7:30 pm

No sign of him yet but I was patient.

8:00 pm

Still no sign of Flare.

8:30 pm

Already starting to worry a little.

9:00 pm

I was starting to get restless. I paced around my room looking at the clock every five seconds.

9:30 pm

At that time, I was really worried. It's already late and Flare hasn't shown up yet. What if something bad happened to him? What if he did run into rebels? What if-

The door opened and I thought Flare had arrived but it was only Zara. "Hey Shana, what's up?"

"Zara...I thought you were..." I said disappointingly.

"You thought I was Flare?" she asked.

"Yeah well, I hoped you were Flare." I replied. "It's late already and there's still no sign of him."

"Yeah I know." Zara agreed. "You must really be worried about him."

"Yeah...yes I am..." I said trying to hide a blush on my face.

Unfortunately, Zara seemed to notice it. She crossed her arms and said: "There's nothing to be embarrassed about Shana. I know perfectly well why you'd worry."

Does she know about my feelings for Flare? Should I tell her? I should; she is my best friend after all.

I sighed. "Yeah well...I'm really worried because...because...I'm in love with Flare..."

I waited for her to say something like: "Oh my gosh!" but what she said was a simple: "I know."

I stared at her wondering how she found out. As if she read my mind, she said: "Slick and I have known or a long time."

"What gave it away?" I asked.

Zara laughed. "Have you seen the way you look at him? It's the same way I look at Slick."

Wow. That was kinda sweet. "So now you know Zara."

"Does Flare know?" she asked me.

"No. No he doesn't."

"Then why haven't you told him yet?" Zara sounded a bit disappointed.

"Well I was planning to telling him during the ball. And I was going to tell him yesterday when you interrupted us!" I blurted out.

"Oh. Oh, was that what you were doing? I'm so sorry Shana. I didn't know." Zara apologized.

I sighed. "It's OK Zara. I doubted I was gonna be able to do it anyway." I said sadly.

"Aw c'mon. You'll be able to do it." Zara encouraged. "I know you Shana; you'll be able to confess some day. Believe me, if there's anyone who can make you happy, its-"

But the door opened and there he was staring at me. I stared back at him so glad, so happy that he was OK. "Flare...so you're back." Zara said.

"Yeah. I'm really back." Flare said not taking his eyes off me. I thought I saw him clench his paws tightly.

"I uh...I think I'll go to bed now. Night you two." Zara said before leaving but not without winking at me at the door.

As Flare walked closer to me, I noticed something odd. He seemed to be really tired for some reason. "Flare, is everything alright? You look tired."

Flare looked down on his own body. "Yeah I had to walk a lot before I got home." Then, his stomach grumbled. "I guess all that walking burned off my dinner." he said with a chuckle.

I gave him a small smile. "C'mon, let's go get you some food."

Together we went over to the dinning room and flare sat down as I got him a plate of berries. He started eating them quickly which surprised me a little.

"So uh...how was you visit?" I asked him.

"Um...well, my parents really wanted to see me and we kinda just spent the day together." Flare said halfway through his meal. "So how was your day Shana?"

"Aw y'know, really boring actually. Sparred with Zara for a while to pass the time." I answered.

"Oh really? How'd it go?" I went on telling him about my battles with Zara. It was during the course of this talk that I saw what I had missed: his smile, his laugh and the way he makes me feel special.

"So you didn't run into any rebels today?" I asked.

Flare hastily swallowed before answering. "Uh nope. No, nothing like that or anything."

"Then what took you so long? I thought you'd never get back." I said.

"My parents wanted me to stay a while longer. Besides, I said i'll be back after dinner and it's technically after dinner right now." he pointed.

"Good because...because I was really worried about you when you didn't get back early." I said sadly.

He must have felt guilty about that for he pushed his empty plate away and looked at me. "I'm sorry I made you worry like that Shana; I didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't mean it Flare." Then I started doing what I do when I get nervous, blurt out everything that popped into my head.

"I mean, I was just really scared after the rebel attack at school; I thought you'd end up like Vulcan or worse." A deepening blush appeared. "I couldn't bear something like that happen to you Flare; you said you're afraid of loosing me but I'm afraid of losing you because-"

It was Déjà vu, me stopping right before my confession. "Because Flare I...I..." No Zara here to interrupt me. C'mon, you can do this! "Flare I lo-"

"Flare, you're back." my mom said entering the room. I nearly swore out loud. "What took you so long?"

"My parents wanted me around longer." he answered. "Sorry if I was late ma'am."

"It's OK. Shade would like to see you." my mom said.

"Alright, I be on my way." Flare said standing up and walking towards the door. Halfway there, he stopped and faced me. "Oh, where you saying something Shana?"

I avoided his gaze to hide my blush. "It...it's nothing. I'm going to bed now."

"Everything alright Shana?" my mom asked.

"Yes, yes it is." I answered. "Good night you two."

And I went back to my room disappointed and slept.


	32. Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32  
**FLARE'S POV **

I can't believe I just did that.

I can't believe that I refused the opportunity to leave and instead went back to Shana all because I missed her. That was so selfish of me! I smacked my pillow on my head.

I seriously could've left at that moment. I could've Teleported to the outskirts of the nation and leave for good. Shana would be safe right? No. I had to have that moment of weakness and came back to see her again just because I didn't want to go.

I put my own joy first instead of her safety; I hated myself for doing that. How could I do that to her? How could I make her unsafe just so I could be happy? I just...

Then I remembered something: ten days. If Shana doesn't die in ten days, the rebels would kill her themselves. I could still save her. I just had to leave before those ten days were up. But...

But could I leave? What if I felt the exact same way as I did when I first tried? Would I back out selfishly again or would I leave for good and keep her safe?

I had to leave whether I wanted to or not. I made a vow at that moment: before the ten days were up, I would leave Shana for good.

* * *

Five days later, school started up again. When I wasn't busy thinking about Zara and Slick's very lip-centered reunion (pls don't ask let's just say that Shana and I literally had to pry them apart), I was thinking that I just had five days left until the rebels attack. I honestly didn't know how to do it.

"Flare, you doing OK?" Shana asked noticing me. She's been asking me that like five times a day ever since I got back home.

"I am Shana. There's nothing to worry about." I answered.

I knew she was worried about me and that my answers, no matter how convincing I try to make them, don't work that much at all. I couldn't think of any way to convince her that everything was OK when it really wasn't.

School passed like a blur and it was already time for us to go home. Slick sighed. "Another day gone, another day closer to graduation."

Graduation...I never really thought of that. It would've been great graduating with all of them, completing that stage of life with them. But I couldn't. "Yeah and until then, we've got a few more months of homework, tests and projects." I added.

The four of us laughed; I would miss that too. All those good times we had together will stay with me as long as I live. I'd miss Slick's witty remarks about day to day life. I'd miss Zara's friendship and her spunk and energy. But I'd miss Shana the most.

My friends, I wish I could stay with you longer...

But I did stay longer with them; I stayed for three more days meaning I had to leave tomorrow on the ninth day to give the rebels enough time to learn about my betrayal. Honestly, I was very prepared to leave on those three days but I didn't have the strength to. It was either tomorrow or not at all.

* * *

I woke up on the last day I would spend with them. Fighting the urge to cry or something, I got up and headed for Shana's room and woke her up for the last time.

"M-morning Shana..." I said to her, my throat clenching.

"Hey Flare." she said back. "Wait, is everything OK?"

At first, I thought she was doing that casually again but then I realized that she must've seen my face. I put on the most fake and convincing smile I could. "Everything's fine Shana. Trust me; you don't have to worry about anything."

It worked and we were on our way to breakfast. To our surprise, we found Shade and Shine at the table with Zara. Shana's parents looked tense, their heads bent over a small stack of papers nearby."Mom? Dad? What're you two doing up so early." Shana asked as we sat down.

"I just got this report." my dad answered. "There have been several instances of Pokemon mysteriously vanishing; it started about the day after Flare came back from his parents house."

I nearly choked on my food. This was a sign; the rebels are being called back in order to prepare for an all out attack. "We think it's the work of rebels." Shade added.

"You sure about that?" I asked.

"Yeah but that's not just it." Shine said and she looked skywards. "I can sense the air and something wrong. I've got a bad feeling like something horrible is about to happen."

They were planning something. Maybe Shana's death would be their signal to attack but I wasn't gonna let that happen. If I left, all of those forces would be drawn to me and I would begin running for my life.

"All you you know the safety procedures in case of an emergency?" Shade asked the three of us.

I knew it too but it was Zara who answered while she continued eating. "Yeah we know Uncle Shade. If anything bad happens, us all your guards rush from wherever they are to wherever you two are and they we're escorted to some safe house somewhere. Hey, can we pick a one near Slick's house?"

"Let's just hope we don't have too." Shine said worriedly placing her paw on her husband's. I could tell how worried they were about all of this but then I saw them look at Shana. Knowing them, they, like me, would give their lives for her. Looking at her myself, I wondered what it felt like to have someone who'd die for you. I didn't want to ask her; I bet that topic occupied her mind a lot.

Then I turned to Shade and Shine and realized that I would miss them too. They were the closest thing I had to actual parents. I just wished that one day, I would be able to thank them for their hospitality, for everything they've done for me.

My last breakfast with them ended and we were off to school. As the day wore on, I wished that it would just slow down so I can spend more time with those I cared for. Inevitably, the bell rung at the end of my last day and we stood up to leave the class room.

"Oh Shana, a word if you will." Mr. Albert, our science teacher, said before we could leave.

"Yes. What is it sir?" Shana asked approaching the teacher's table.

He tapped on a pile of papers on the table. "I've just gone over your grades and found out that you're ranked 1st in the entire class. You just knocked Inchy down to second."

Inchy however was still in the room when that was said and he heard everything. He gave whimper and then ran out of the room sobbing.

"Er, maybe I shouldn't have said that last part." Mr. Albert said.

"Anyway, you're ranked 1st in the class Shana? That's amazing." I told her. She blushed and smiled humbly.

"Yes, this girl is a damn genius." Slick added patting Shana's head.

"Yes she is. Shana, I was wondering if you'd be interested in becoming a tutor." Mr. Albert said.

"Tutor?" Shana asked.

Our teacher nodded. "Yes. Some other students in the class aren't as...academically gifted as you are so I was wondering if you could help one of them out and raise his grades."

"OK." Shana said shrugging. "How long am I doing this?"

"Well you're going to be tutoring once a week starting tonight at 9." Mr. Albert answered. "Besides, I've already got one applicant and you can start tutoring him tonight."

"Really? Who is it?" Shana asked.

Mr. Albert blinked once. "Spore."

Happy time ended and defensive time started. "Whoa, there is no way that I'm tutoring-"

"I heard my name." Spore said suddenly showing up. Shocked, Zara, Slick and I stood in front of Shana like a shield.

"Ah Spore, Shana's willing to be your tutor." Mr. Albert said pointing at her.

"I didn't agree to anything!" Shana said. "Sir, do you have any idea how many sexual advances he's made on me in my life?"

"That's all in the past. I've changed; I really have." Spore said raising his arms defensively.

"Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it." Zara taunted. "I bet you just can't wait to get some alone time with Shane."

"Look, I'm sorry about everything I've done before, I really am, but I've told you I've changed." Spore replied. "Think about it, even after the week in our bet, did I ever harass Shana after that?"

He had a point there. Ever since I beat him, he hasn't harassed Shana once. "He said he's changed Shana. Why don't you give him a chance?" Mr. Albert said.

Shana glared at Spore angrily for several seconds. "Flare's going with me." she said.

"Sure, OK. I've got no problem with that." Spore said.

"So are we alright here?" Mr. Albert said.

"We are sir. I'll see you tonight Shana." Spore said and he left the room.

* * *

"What!" Shade exclaimed when we told them about what happened.

"Yeah, we kinda had the same reaction." Zara said.

"He claimed he's changed sir." I added.

"Well do you think he's changed Shana?" Shade asked.

"No. Not at all but Mr. Albert said his grades needed raising." Shana answered. "Besides, Flare will be there in case things get out of hand."

Shade turned to me. "If he so much as touches her and she's not cool with it, we're outta there." I said seriously.

Shade sighed and shook his head. "Alright but Shana, please be careful."

"I will dad." she answered.

Great, just my luck. I'm leaving for good tomorrow and I have to spend my last night worrying about Spore getting his hands on Shana? "Shana, you sure about this?" I asked as we got ready to head to Spore's house.

"I gauge Spore by tonight." she replied packing her books. "If he doesn't do anything bad tonight, I guess I'll let him go. If he does mess up, I'll be talking to Mr. Albert about this."

The idea of having Shana alone with Spore was just horrible but since I'm leaving tomorrow, I just had to trust her decision. Shana had just finished packing. "Alright, I'm done. Time for me to go tutor a pervert."


	33. Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33  
**SHANA'S POV **

"Whoa." Flare and I said coming to a stop. We were standing at a gate right in front of Spore house or should I say castle-mansion. The place was just huge and looked very fancy; he even had turrets at the corners of his house. In front of the main building was a fountain with a statue of a Shiftry I assumed to be Spore's dad. Spouts of water cam out of the tips of his ears, his nose and the tips of the leaves on his hands.

"Spore sure is rich." Flare commented.

"Yeah, I bet he's rolling in money now." I replied and I rung the doorbell a few times and waited. A few seconds later, an Empoleon showed up.

"Friends of the young master I take it?" he asked us.

"No not really. I'm his tutor." I answered.

"Ah, you must must be Miss Shana. Please, come in." The Empoleon opened the gate and let Flare and I in. He walked us across the front lawn and towards the house.

"The young master is alone tonight; his parents are very busy after all." the Empoleon said as he opened the front door.

The entrance hall was very large and its walls seemed to be made from marble. Light was provided by a large chandelier on the ceiling. There were two wings on the side and a large marble staircase in the middle.

"Master Spore, you have guests!" the Empoleon shouted up the stairs.

"Yeah, on my way!" a voice shouted. Then Spore showed up sliding down the stairs and jumping off at the end. "Thanks Trident; I'll take it from here. Just send up three bowls of berries to my room 'k?

Trident, the Empoleon, bowed and left us with Spore. Turing to us, he said: "Family butler; he's been with us for years. So now, why don't we get started?"

I scowled at him and Flare stood between us. "Don't worry you two; I've changed." Spore said.

"I'll admit it after tonight." Flare said seriously.

Spore just shrugged. "OK then. I'll show you guys to my room."

With Flare still between us, Spore led us up the stairs onto the second floor. Turning right, we found a golden statue of Spore right next to his room. How vain of him. Anyway, Spore opened the door and led us into his room.

Spore's room was around the same size as mine. Illuminated by another chandelier, the room was actually kinda messy. His books and school stuff were lying scattered on the floor. A desk in the corner, that should've been used for studying, looked totally unused. A window was to the side showing a beautiful night sky with a full moon.

"I hope you don't mind if we do math tonight." Spore said picking up his math book off the floor and lying sideways on his bed. He patted the space before him indicating that I should go there. Disgusted, I went over and hopped onto his bed and so did Flare.

Along the way, I grabbed a meter stick off the ground and placed it between Spore and myself. "Oh I get it. I won't cross it. I promise." Spore said.

As Flare kept his eyes on him, I rummaged through my bag and took out our math book. (Author's Note: These are all from my high school notes. Any number italicized is the exponent like x_6_ means x raised to the sixth power.)

"Let's start with our last lesson." I picked one of the questions from the book. "In 5x_2_-8x+K=0, what should the value of K be so that the roots have a product of 1/5?"

"Uh...um..." Spore grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began solving the problem. After a few seconds, he finished and handed the paper to me while being careful not to cross the line I made.

"It's wrong." I said going over his solution. "The product of the two roots is c/a not -b/c."

"Oh." he said and I gave him his paper back. "So the answer should be...1 right?"

"Yeah, that's correct. Let's try another problem. Give me a quadratic equation whose roots are the reciprocals of 4x_2_+8x-5=0"

I'm sure that if Zara heard that, she'd ask what four of the twelve things I said meant. Smiling slightly at that thought, I watched as Spore solved the problem again. "Done. The answer's 5x_2_-8x-4=0."

"That's correct Spore." I told him.

"Wow. I can't believe I got that right." he said amazed. "And I couldn't have done it without you Shana."

Somehow, I managed to smile at him. For the next hour, I gave him a few more problems. He was actually improving much to my surprise. He was still far from being top of the class though.

"Take a break Spore. I'm going to the bathroom." I said.

"OK. Just turn right and keep going straight." he replied. Flare and I got off his bed and left his room. When I closed the door, neither of us left.

"Well?" Flare asked me.

"He's still bad but he's doing better." I answered.

"Which one? His grades or his attitude?" Flare asked again.

I stretched a little. "It's been an hour and he hasn't even touched me. So far so good."

"Shana," Flare seemed to tense up a little. "Do you trust him now?"

He was worrying about me again. "Don't worry Flare; I'm gonna be real careful around him."

"Well that's good to hear." Flare said with a relieved sigh.

Then we heard footsteps. Turning our head, we saw Trident walking up with three bowls filled with berries in his hands. "How goes the tutoring?" he asked us.

"Pretty well. Are those for us?" Flare asked.

"Ah yes they are. Could you please give these to the young master. It is your snack after all." Trident said.

"Sure, no problem." He gave me my bowl and Flare his and Spore's. Then, Trident yawned.

"I believe it's time I went to bed. Please tell the young master that. If you need any food, there's still some in the kitchen. Have a pleasant night then."

It was seriously weird to hear Spore being called young master. Trident bowed again before leaving and Flare and I reentered Spore's room. "Trident said he went to bed." Flare said.

"Good, he brought snacks." Spore said taking his bowl from Flare. Th three of us sat down and I continued to teach him while munching on a few berries. Who knew teaching someone with low grades could be tiresome?

I gave him more problems and showed him how to solve them. I was really impressed by how much he improved. As I continued to tutor, Flare kept watching me and him with a careful eye.

"Hang on Shana, I'm just gonna get something." Spore said leaving his room. He came back few minutes later carrying a plate of freshly baked chocolate chipped cookies. It rich aroma wafted through the air and I temporarily forgot about my berries.

"They're apology cookies." Spore explained going back to his spot on the bed. "Consider this my apology for everything I've done to you and your friends."

I still didn't trust him completely and I looked at the cookies with disgust despite their scent. "C'mon, try them." Spore took one and ate it. "See? There's nothing wrong with them."

"I'll be the judge of that." Flare said taking a cookie and eating it.

"Well?" I asked.

Flare shrugged. "It's pretty good but I think I'll stick to my berries." he said eating a few of them. Spore offered me the cookies and, sensing nothing wrong, I ate them.

"Oh my gosh!" The flavor seemed to have exploded in my mouth. I have never tasted a more delicious cookie in my life. "Seriously Spore, these are, like, the best cookies I've ever tasted."

"I'm glad you like them." he said. I reached over and grabbed the entire tray and started eating them all surprising Flare a bit. I'm not a glutton but I just wanted to eat every cookie there is.

"So are we cool now?" Spore asked eating his berries since his other food was taken.

"Spore, you can't just buy Shana's forgiveness with cookies." Flare pointed out.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean he shouldn't." I said with mouth full of cookies.

"You want more?" Spore asked and I nodded. "I'll go tell Trident to get some more."

"Trident already went to bed." Flare reminded.

"Really?" Spore said raising an eyebrow. "Flare could you get us some more cookies please? They should be in the kitchen."

Startled, Flare looked at Spore and then at me. "Don't worry. I'll be fine on my own." I said reassuringly. Flare shot one last dirty look at Spore before leaving the room.

At that moment, I finished the last of the cookies. "Those were amazing Spore. You've got to give me the recipe." I told him.

"Aw y'know, it's pretty simple." Spore said casually. "It's just water, milk, sugar, flour, chocolate chips, some oil and my...secret ingredient." he added with a playful smile.

"Really? What is it? "I asked curiously.

"Well it is a family secret but you have to promise not to tell anyone." he added dropping his smile and talking seriously.

I nodded. "OK I won't so what is it?"

Spore looked from side to side as if he were checking that no one else would be listening. He then gestured me to lean forward so he could whisper into my ear. "The secret ingredient is...Stun Spore."

"Stun...Spore?" And then it hit me. Horrified, I could already feel my front right leg go numb despite my attempts to move it. The numbness then started spreading to the other parts of my body leaving me immobile.

I struggled but my body didn't want to move and I started to panic. I turned to Spore who was smiling evilly. "Wait, you and Flare ate them too so why-"

But I quickly found the answer. It laid in the berry bowls that were were eating from. Upon further examination, I saw that Flare and Spore's bowls had something mine didn't. "Cheri Berries." I muttered.

"And the amount of my Stun Spore in those cookies was small so they don't work immediately." Spore said leaning towards my face with malice in his eyes. "I'll admit you're smart Shana but you're also so very very hot."

He struck the side of my head painfully causing me to roll a little until I was lying on my back. He wrenched my legs apart and pressed his forehead to mine. I could smell his sick horrible breath. Looking sideways, I saw Spore pick up the meter stick I used as a boundary and twirled it in the air a little.

"I can think of a number of uses for this." Spore said grinning.

"You're sick; you haven't changed one bit." I said completely disgusted.

"Nah, I'll use this later. But for now-"

Before I could protest, Spore threw away the stick and leaped at me. His hands were everywhere caressing and holding me in places that should be left alone. The whole time, I could barely breath and I was unable to move with terror. It was like the paralysis had spread to my lungs. I was so horrified and furious at what Spore was doing to me.

"You're so dead when Flare gets back." I said through gritted teeth.

"No I won't. You see, Trident's in cahoots with me. He lied when he said he was going to bed; he's in the kitchen ready to kill Flare." Spore said his hands continuing to travel around my body. "Besides, when I'm done with you," Spore stopped and suddenly pulled out a small knife and traced it around my neck. "I'm going to slit your neck and get rid of both of your bodies. I'm rich; I can afford the cover-up."

Putting the knife aside, he resumed his exploration of my body, his hands moving around quicker and his breath becoming faster. That was when he crossed the line. Spore could do anything he wants to me but when he threatened to kill Flare, I lost my concern for myself. Absolutely furious at his threat, I spat in his face.

Spore stopped and wiped my spit away with his hand. "I'm going to forget that happened." he said. He tried caressing my face but I tried biting his fingers and he drew them back. "Alright, that's it! Good thing I bought this bottle of Sleep Powder."

He pulled out a small bottle of dark blue powder and held it over my face. In vain, I tried getting away but Spore tapped the bottle lightly showing my face with the power. Almost instantly, I could already feel myself get drowsy.

"That's right. Go to sleep so I can de-flower you." Spore said but his voice sounded like he was talking from the end of a tunnel. My eyes were already half open; I knew that if I closed them, they'd never open again. Then Spore buried his head into my chest terrorizing me more. I could feel him inhaling my scent. The more he inhaled, the quicker his breaths became deeper and more ragged; he seemed to be intoxicated by it. It was like he was starting to lose control of himself.

"You freak...you vile...little..." I began to lose my consciousness. "You...you...you..."

...

...

...

"FLARE!"

The door to the room burst open and Flare stood there at the entrance looking like he just fought someone off. It only took a second's look into the room to find out what was going on. Flare shot a massive Flamethrower that pushed spore off me and slam him into the wall.

The force of this action caused me to roll on my side and I found a Lum Berry from Spore's bowl. Fighting sleepiness, I inched my way towards it until I scooped it with my tongue and ate it. I felt myself become wide awake and I could move my body again but when I looked up-

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I had never heard Flare shout like that before. With eyes that said that he wanted to inflict as much pain to Spore as he could, he unleashed another massive Flamethrower that pinned Spore to the wall. Spore was screaming and begging for mercy but Flare was deaf to that.

Flare ended the attack and Spore slid to the ground, his body totally burnt. But there was still fury and Flare's eyes and he fired another Flamethrower with the intent to roast Spore alive. Despite what Spore was about to do to me, I had to intervene.

"Flare! Flare, that's enough!" I cried out to him but he didn't respond and continued to burn Spore whose screams became weaker and struggles lessened.

"Flare! Stop it Flare please! Flare!"

I finally got his attention. He stopped his attack and started panting, his forehead covered in sweat. Spore was moaning in pain but otherwise, still alive. I took his paw and gestured him to leave. Grabbing my stuff, we fled the house.


	34. Chapter 34

CHAPTER 24  
**SHANA'S POV**

Flare's anger scared even me slightly. His anger when he first fought Spore was nothing compared to the one I just saw. He looked like he was ready to kill Spore. I had to stop that from happening...for Flare's sake.

He was still burning with anger when we neared my house. "Flare,"

"That sick twisted little-" Flare muttered angrily.

"Flare," I tried again.

"I wanna go back; I wanna finish off-" He turned around but I blocked his path.

"Flare," I said louder this time.

This time, Flare shouted. "I WILL BURN HIM TO THE GROUND AND USE HIS ASHES AS-"

"FLARE!" I shouted and he looked at me. I placed my paws on his cheeks and looked into his eyes trying to look past this angry, murderous Flare and trying to find the Flare that I love.

"I'm fine Flare. That's all that matters." I told him. His breathing rate lowered and his expression calmed down.

"Shana...I...I..." he said.

I shook my head. "We'll talk about it some other time. Let's just...go to bed."

It was easier said than done. My parents and everyone else who wasn't on night watch were already asleep. Flare went off to his room and I entered mine. I tried sleeping, I really did but every time I closed my eyes, I could almost picture Spore there waiting to assault me. I would suddenly open my eyes and check the room to make sure In was alone.

After several attempts, I admitted that I couldn't get any sleep tonight. I threw off my blanket and left my room and went for the rooftop garden.

It was slightly illuminated by the light of the full moon.I headed over to the bench right in the middle of the garden and sat down. I clutched my head; my head tried to block out the events of earlier but they still continued to haunt me.

"Shana?" I heard a voice say. I looked over to the entrance and was surprised to see Flare there.

"You can't sleep either?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Is it alright if I sit with you Shana?" he asked me.

"Y-yeah you can. I don't think I can face this thing alone." I told him. With worry in his eyes, he sat down on the bench with me. We were silent for a long time; the only sound came from the evening breeze.

I remembered that last time we met like this. It seemed like years ago even thought it wasn't.

"Shana, Spore, did he...did he..." I said clenching his fists. I could tell that it was just to horrible for him to mention himself.

"No. No he didn't Flare. He...He would have if you hadn't barged in at the last moment, Spore would've done something...irreversible." I said shakily. "Th...thank you Flare."

Author's note: You can relax now guys; Shana's still a virgin.

He looked at me and I continued. "I can still picture it though." I began to shudder and had difficulty breathing right.

And then Flare, seeing how much I was shaking, reached over and hugged me close to his chest. "There there Shana. It's OK I've got you."

I had never felt so much safer than when I was in his strong, comforting arms. I pressed the side of my head to his chest where I could hear his heartbeat. "Flare...you're so warm." I said with a slight smile and blushing slightly. His warmth calmed me down a lot.

"Uh...thank you Shana." Flare said reluctantly.

I didn't leave my spot. "Flare I...I feel so safe right now." I said. "I feel like... like nothing can hurt me right now and it's all thanks to you. You're...the most wonderful guy I've ever met Flare."

There was more silence between us. But then Flare said: "Shana...what if...what if I told you...that I was selfish?"

Selfish? Him? I removed my head from his chest and looked at him, his arms still around me. "What if I said that...that I cared about my happiness more than your safety?"

I looked a him with a puzzled expression on my face. "Flare, how could you say that about yourself? You're not selfish Flare. I don't think you ever were."

"Well, I was selfish." Flare admitted. I saw his fists clench again. "There was one point in my life...where I cared more about me being happy even if it meant putting you in danger. Even up to now, I can't forgive myself for what I did."

He must be talking about when he visited his parents; he must've thought that by leaving me, I was unprotected. He blamed himself for that?

"Honestly Flare, I'd rather pick your happiness over my safety." I told him.

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry Shana but I think the opposite. But I have my moments of weakness and that's when I become selfish."

I placed my paws on his which seemed to soothe him. "Flare..."

"I'm sorry I lost control back there Shana." he apologized. "And I'm sorry I left you alone with him. If Spore had had his way with you and it was my fault, I don't know how I could live with that. I should've never left your side; what kind of guy and I?"

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in frustration. I hated it when he was like that, all gloomy and depressed, blaming himself for the bad things that happen to me. I placed a paw on his cheek and he opened his eyes.

"I know what Flare. You're someone who I'll accept no matter what. I don't think you're selfish but I told you, no matter how bad you may say that you are, I'll never reject you." I said meaning every single word.

"But you don't know me Shana. You don't know anything about me." he said miserably. He sounded close to tears.

I placed my other paw on his cheek and gazed into his eyes where I found sadness and guilt. "There's something I want to tell you Shana, something about me. But I'm too scared to say so...I'm afraid of what will happen when I do say it..."

"You don't have to be afraid Flare." I told him. "I'm not afraid when I have you. You're my source of courage Flare. You're why I'm able to face the world and its hardships. You're the reason I want to wake up everyday, the reason why every night, when I go to sleep, I feel so happy knowing that your face will be the first thing I see at the start of a new day. Flare...you're the reason I want to keep living..."

"Shana..." Flare placed his paws gently on my cheeks; he hesitated a little. "When I was sad and miserable...you were always there for me...I learned to smile, to laugh, to enjoy life because of you. This may sound crazy Shana but...you were the first to ever show me any kindness. You have no idea how sad I was until I met you. I can't imagine my life without you. Shana...you gave my life meaning..."

I...I couldn't believe what he just said. I never...I never knew he thought that way about me. I never knew that he felt that way about me...I never knew...how much I truly meant to him, how much me hating him scared him so much.

Flare...you...I...I didn't know what to say but I didn't need to. Flare gently leaned forward and I did the same thing. My heart and mind were going insane but I was able to focus on him, on being this close to him.

"...Flare..."

"...Shana..."

Our foreheads were pressed together, our lips so close to each other. Just less than a quarter of an inch and they would meet.

Suddenly, there was the sound of wings flapping overhead causing Flare and I to part. We saw two black feathers fall between us and we looked skywards. We saw a Murkrow circle us overhead and then fly away. To me, it seemed like he was just passing by but then I saw the absolutely horrified face of Flare who whispered a single word:

"Salem..."

"What? Flare, what's wrong? Who's Salem?" I asked him.

He wasn't going to answer. He jumped off the bench and bolted for the door. "Flare!" I shouted and he stopped to look at him. "Flare, what's going on?"

He gulped and spoke in a shaky voice. "I...I"m sorry Shana but I...I have to go...I...I'm leaving."

"L...leaving?" I felt my heart brake a bit. "What do you mean leaving? Where are you going? What's going on?" I asked. I was almost as panicked as he was.

"I just...just have to leave Shana...I...I'm not even sure I'll be able to go back to you..."

My heart was breaking in more places now. This was even worse than what Spore was going to do to me. "Flare..."

He shook his head. "I can't tell you Shana...I just...I have to leave. I can't tell you anything...I...I'm sorry..." He turned around.

"Flare..." The sound of my voice caught his attention. I began to cry at the thought of him leaving. "Please Flare...don't...don't leave...don't leave me...please..."

He closed his eyes tightly and a single tear fell. "I'm so sorry Shana...please forgive me..."

And with that, he turned around and reentered the house. "Flare!" I shouted with tears streaming down my face. I jumped off the bench and ran back inside.

"Flare!" I called again. There was no sight of him. I ran down several corridors and checked several rooms while calling out his name. "Flare!"

I ran down the stairs and tripped halfway. I fell down and collapsed into a sobbing heap at the base. Slowly, I looked up hoping with all my heart that he would be there. But the corridor was empty, deadly empty, just like my shattered heart.

"FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE!"


	35. Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35  
**FLARE'S POV**

Damn it! I just don't get it. Why doesn't anything go the way its supposed to be? From Spore assault at Shana to Salem finding out about us, everything just keeps getting worse. Knowing my luck, I had a feeling that things were gonna get even worse.

I had to get to Salem before he gives too much information to the rebels. He had a huge head start; checking the sky, I didn't find him. I stopped in place and tried to think about my next move.

Shana...I can't believe I just left her like that. That wasn't part of the plan at all. Now, the only image of her I can think of is her tear soaked face devastated by my departure. However, I had more important things to deal with now. I had to find Salem and stop him from telling the rebels about what he saw.

I had to get to the nearest entrance to the rebel headquarters which happened to be in a dark alleyway right next to a grocery store. I hurriedly made my way there and found a Machoke rebel sleeping with his back against the wall.

"Hey, did a Murkrow just come by here?" I asked him.

He grunted a little and rubbed his eye. "Yeah, he just came in about a minute ago."

Good, I still had time. "I'm a rebel. Let me in." I said.

The Machoke took interest. "Really? Prove it."

I thought of something only a rebel would know. "Jewel's a commander, Peter's head of intelligence gathering, Ente handle the missions given and Cenduo's in charge of training."

Only a rebel would know that stuff. The Machoke looked convinced and knocked on the wall behind him causing it to slide sideways revealing a hidden entrance. I hurriedly tried to go in but an Octillery rebel was just leaving and I bumped into him.

I hastily apologized. "I'm sorry but I have to-"

Before I could continue, two of his tentacles coiled around my body causing my legs to snap shut. As I struggled, the Machoke asked: "Hey, what's going on here?"

"I've been ordered to capture this traitor." the Octillery said indicating me. I stopped struggling; I was too late. Yes they found out about my treachery but they caught me so fast.

"Now, let's take you to the bosses." the Octillery said taking my struggling body underground.

The tunnels were so much different than when I had last visited. There were a lot more rebels who were busy training as if they were preparing for a huge battle. No...it was like they were getting ready to revolt against Shade. There was no way the rebels could lose.

"Wait, I'm a traitor. Why don't you just kill me?" I asked.

"Actually, I'd like to kill you right now." the Octillery said painfully tightening his grip on me. I couldn't breath but then his grip slackened. "But I've orders to take you in alive."

"So they can kill me themselves?" I asked sarcastically.

He looked at me. "I'm not sure about that. They said that they had...plans for you."

When the rebels have plans for someone, that's never any good. Eventually, we reached The Table where Salem was relaxing on a chair with Dart's old team around him.

"Hey Flare. Had a pleasant evening?" he asked me with a sneer.

I turned to the others. "He's lying." I said quickly.

"Why the hell would he do that?" Jewel asked.

"He hates me." I hoped my quick thinking would get me out of this one too. "He'd do anything just to get me killed."

"I'm not lying. I just said what I saw; you guys can decide what to do now." Salem said relaxed.

"Bind him." Cenduo ordered and I was thrown into a chair; the Octillery's tentacles coiled around me, binding me to the chair.

Then, a Poliwrath carrying a clip board and a pen came in and eyed me with interest. "I doubt Shana's gonna die tomorrow so you know what that means." Jewel said as the Poliwrath approached me.

"What do you want from me?" I asked angrily.

"We just want you to answer a few questions, that's all." Ente answered with a smirk.

I glared at him. "I'm not answering anything."

Ente smirked wider. "Oh you will, one way or another."

As he laughed, the Poliwrath got closer and closer until he was right in front of me. Then, the spiral on his body began to rotate causing a funny tingling sensation in my brain. Then, the Poliwrath asked me a question.

"What is the layout of Shade's home?"

At first, I didn't understand why they would ask that, like I would tell them, but then the Poliwrath started writing down on the clip board like he was getting answers. With a sudden jolt, I realized what he was doing.

"Mind Reader..." I whispered.

"Took you long enough." Jewel said.

"Where are all of the guard stationed at this very moment?" the Poliwrath asked again. Even though I tried not thinking about the answer, his Mind Reader was too strong and he got all the info he wanted.

"What is your escape plan should there be an attack?"

"Get the hell out of my head." I tried firing Extrasensory at him but he ducked. The Octillery was ordered to cover my eyes and mouth and he did so. The Poliwrath repeated the question and the answer instinctively came into my mind where he could easily get it.

"One last thing, tell me everything about Shade, Shine and Shana."

I paused for a while and glared in his direction. I'm sure he was expecting their combat styles and abilities but I had different plans in store for him. I filled my head with more important things in the world: Shade's hospitality, Shine's kindness, Shana's...it was hard to pin down a single good trait about her.

I hear the Poliwrath give a grunt of annoyance; he clearly didn't get the info he wanted. "Well, here's what I was able to get." I heard him say.

The tentacle covering my eyes lifted a little and I could see the Poliwrath exit the room. Meanwhile, Jewel adn the others were going over the things he wrote. Then, Peter walked over to me.

"Thanks for giving us all this info Flare. I expected this much from our best intelligence gatherer." he told me before facing Jewel and nodding.

Jewel faced Salem. "Tell everyone to prepare to launch a full scale attack on Shade's home." she told him and Salem left. Jewel went on over to me. "With this info, Shade's forces don't stand a chance. We couldn't have done this without you Flare."

The four of them started laughing maniacally and the horror of what was about to happen next filled me up. My struggles increased but the Octillery kept his hold on me. At least, until I fired a Flamethrower and burned his tentacle. He instinctively let go of me and I rushed out of the room. Oddly, no one was chasing me.

I had to get home and get everyone there to safety before the attack starts. But as I run for my life towards home, I could here rebels giving out battle cries, their shouts echoing across every tunnel. As much as I wanted to deny it, I had to admit that this could only mean one thing.

The uprising has begun.


	36. Chapter 36

CHAPTER 36  
**SHANA'S POV**

I was in my parents' room. They were asleep when I found them, and I really hated having to wake them up but this was an emergency. Right now, I was sitting on their bed trying to dry my tears. My mom was at my side looking at me worriedly while my dad was pacing around while thinking.

He stopped and looked at me. "OK. Shana, please tell me everything that happened before Flare left." he asked.

I sniffed a bit and wiped my nose. "We...we just got back from tutoring Spore. After that we...we talked a little and then we saw this Murkrow fly away. After that, Flare freaked out and told me that he had to leave. I tried asking him what was wrong but he said that he can't tell me and then...he just left."

Replaying those moments in my head brought more tears to my eyes and my mom started stroking me comfortingly. I didn't tell them that Spore tried to rape me; honestly, that really didn't matter right now.

"Where d'you think Flare could've gone?" my mom asked my dad.

"I don't know. Whatever his reason may be, it must be bad if it meant having to leave without telling us." my dad replied.

"But I've never seen that Murkrow before; he looked like he was just passing by when we saw him." I told them.

"But Flare recognized him." my mom pointed out.

"Yeah it looked like that. Look, I'm just...I'm just really worried about him that's all..." I said wiping my eyes again.

My dad went over and patted my shoulder. "Don't worry Shana. I'll do what I can to find him. Maybe we should alert his parents first; they might know where he went." he suggested.

"Y..Yeah. That's a good idea." I said feeling slightly hopeful.

"In the meantime," my mom said. "We'll just have to find another guard for you."

I looked at her gloomily. "But mom, I don't want anyone else. I want Flare; no one can ever replace him." I said seriously.

My parents looked at each other and my dad spoke to me. "Shana..."

"I want to join the search." I told him.

But he shook his head. "I'm sorry Shana but that's just too dangerous. Exposing you like that without your own guard's very risky."

"But dad-"

"Shana please, consider this." my mom said. "I can sense the air and I can tell that something really bad's going to happen. Your dad and I just want you to be away from any mess that can happen."

"But...but..."

My dad sighed and spoke pleadingly. "Please Shana, leave everything to us. Your mom and I can't bear losing you."

I stared at them and started to feel tense. I just had to find Flare before it's too late no matter how dangerous it might seem. I wouldn't rest until he's safe and sound with us.

And then the door burst open and there he was.

"FLARE!" I shouted and, ignoring everything else, I ran towards him and hugged him, burying my head in his chest. Even though it was just a few minutes, far shorter than when he visited his parents, I missed the feeling of being close to him greatly. I felt like never letting go of him. I felt happy tears come to my eyes. "Flare...I...you..."

But then I noticed his expression. I'd seen him panicked before he left but he seemed to be even more panicked than before. He was sweating like crazy and was flailing his arms around. He kept trying to speak but no sound came out of his mouth.

"Flare, what is it? What's wrong?" I asked him but he continued to stutter.

"What's going one Flare?" my dad asked. Flare stuttered for several more seconds until he said a single word:

"RUN!"

A sudden, loud explosion that broke the window and made the floor tremble happened. The light went out plunging the room into darkness. All of us got down on the floor and covered our heads except for Flare who grabbed me and shielded me with his body. As he did, more explosions rocked the house and the ceiling looked like it was going to collapse.

"Everyone out!" Flare shouted. He carried me and then he and my parents ran out of the room just in time because the ceiling collapsed turning my parents' room into a pile of rubble.

"Everyone alright?" my mom asked out loud. We gave a collective yes.

"Flare, what's going on here?" my dad asked.

Flare panicked a little. "It's the rebels. They're attacking the house."

My mom covered her mouth in horror and I gasped. Only my dad was able to speak. "Something's wrong; why isn't anyone coming to escort us out of here?"

"Never mind them. I'll protect you three." Flare said seriously. "C'mon, we have to get out of here."

"But-"

"Shade, if we don't get out of here in time, thing's won't be pretty." Flare interrupted. Whoa, what happened to sir?

My dad thought about it for a few seconds. "Alright, we're counting on you Flare." he said finally.

Flare nodded. "Good, we have to hurry and get to the secret underground passageway out of the house."

He turned away but I stopped him. "Wait, what about Zara?" I asked him.

"I'm sorry Shana but there just not enough time to-"

"She's my best friend! I can't just leave her." I insisted.

Flare sighed. "I'm just as worried about her as you are Shana but she has Slice and Chi to protect her. With them around, I doubt anything bad'll happen."

That was slightly reassuring but I was still worried. I opened my mouth to say something but my dad cut me off. "We're wasting time. Let's go already."

The four of us ran down the darkened hall while more explosions rocked the house. Passing by several pieces of rubble, we found a secret false wall that led to the ground floor. Flare blasted it to pieces with Extrasensory and we descended the hidden stairs until we reached a blank wall. Flare blasted it open again and we were in the ground floor.

"We're almost out." Flare muttered and we ran down several corridors until we came across the false wall that concealed the secret emergency exit. Flare blasted it aside and we went into the underground tunnel.

"Which safe house do we head to Shade?" Flare asked. My dad turned to him to answer.

Two large explosions happened in front of us forcing us to stop in our tracks. Dust filled the tunnel and when it cleared, we saw to our horror a Magnezone, Rhyperior and Tangrowth blocking our way-rebels. I felt scared and Flare went in front of me.

"But how did they know?" I whispered.

"Never mind them; let's find another way!" my dad shouted. But when we turned around, we found a Arbok and a Tentacruel blocking our way.

"We're trapped." my mom said taking a few steps back.

My dad turned around to face the rebels blocking the tunnel. "Looks like we'll have to fight our way out." he said taking a battle stance. The rest of us did the same, my mom and I doing so reluctantly.

"Fight? Knowing how week you are, you don't stand a chance."

That voice was cold, unforgiving, cruel, sadistic and merciless. I had never heard that voice before but the look of horror on my parents' faces made me realize who it was. The four of us slowly turned around to see a massive Garchomp glaring at us with murder in his eyes.

"Long time no see Shady."

"D...Dart...?" my dad said taking a few steps back. There he was, Dart, the leader of the forces that want the three of us dead. I had never been this terrified in my life. Then, without warning, my dad charged at him.

"Dad what're you doing!" I called for him.

"Shade!" my mom cried out.

But my dad kept heading for Dart. "I beat you once and I can do it again!" he shouted unleashing a Hyper Beam.

Dart smirked in amusement, took a few steps forward and fired Dragon Pulse which collided with my dad's attack. They were in deadlock but my dad seemed to be having a hard time keeping his attack up. Then my mom ran up and added her Signal Beam to my dad's attack, and I did the same with my Shadow Ball. The combination of our attacks pushed the Dragon Pulse back, but Dart put out an extra burst of strength, and our attacks were redirected and hit the ground at our feet. There was another explosion that knocked the three of us off our feet and sent us flying backwards.

"Everyone!" Flare shouted.

"Damn...he's too strong..." my dad said trying to get up.

I raised my head a little and saw Flare standing between Dart and us ready to fight. "R...Run Flare...please save yourself..." I whispered to him but he didn't budge.

Dart laughed maniacally. "Y'know, I've wanted to get info on your fighting abilities so I can take you on easily but I guess I didn't need them. Isn't that right Flare?"

Surprised, my parents and I looked at Flare who clenched his fists as Dart continued talking. "You look surprised. Tell me," He walked forward. "How d'you think we were able to have a perfect battle plan to take over this building? How d'you think we knew exactly where all of your guards were at this time so that we could make sure they don't get in the way? And how d'you think we knew that you had a secret underground passageway leading out of this place?"

Dart had a point there. Those were all secrets only we knew; he couldn't have gotten that information. But then he said: "I'll tell you how. We got it all from the guy standing right in front you you."

But the only guy in front of us was Fla-

...No...don't tell me...

"Flare...what's he talking about?" I asked him. He remained silent but Dart answered.

"You don't get it? Damn, you guys are idiots. Flare here," Dart smiled evilly. "Is by far the best information gatherer I've got. He was originally sent here to kill you guys but he chickened out. But it wasn't a total loss 'cause we've got all the info we needed thanks to him. If it hadn't been for him, this attack might have not been such a success."

Flare...a rebel? No...that can't be true. "Flare, tell me he's lying." I asked him but he didn't answer. "Please Flare, tell me this isn't true!"

"Oh you bet it's true!" Dart cried out. "The guy's a rebel! He got the job you gave him to get close to you guys, close enough to get all this juicy info. Admit it, Flare wanted you all dead."

"No...Flare, please tell me this isn't true!" I begged him but all I got was his silence. I just couldn't believe it; Flare, who I love with all my heart, was a rebel?

"I think we've had enough chit chat." Dart snapped his fingers and the Tangrowth behind us shot his vines around us, binding our legs together. He began to pull us away.

"I can't believe you!" my dad shouted angrily. I saw Flare cringe at that. "Shine and I trusted you with Shana's life! All this tine, you just wanted to take it?"

"Flare!" I screamed as I was pulled away from him. I didn't what to think or what to believe anymore. Were those things he said earlier true or not? Was I really important to him at all?

And then:

"SHANA!" Flare screamed as turned around. The Tentacruel wrapped his tentacles around him when he tried to run.

"Shana, it...it's true. I did lie about stuff and I did, at one point, want you dead. I am a rebel." he finally admitted and then he shook his head. "No...I _was_ a rebel. Do you know what happened? Do you know why I changed?...It's because I fell in love with you Shana...I love you Shana...with everything I have, my heart, my soul and everything else, I love you. I would never want to do anything to hurt you..."

Were his words true or not? Did he really love me at all? It was very hard to tell.

And then Dart walked over and punched the back of his head. Flare was knocked out of the Tentacruel's tentacles, smashed face first into the ground and formed a pool of blood around him, his body unmoving.

At that moment, I realized that he was telling the truth and that I didn't care. I didn't care to whom, the rebels, my family, was Flare's loyalty lies. All that mattered to me now was the one whom I love and who loved me back was bleeding on the ground. "FLARE!"

"Whoa, I killed him with one punch?" Dart said amazed. There was nothing amazing here.

"FLARE!" I shouted again but with tears in my eyes. I struggled to break free and get to him but I was unsuccessful. "FLARE!" His body continued to stay still and the pool of blood was getting larger. "FLARE PLEASE ANSWER ME!" I begged and his bleeding figure got further and further away. I kept on screaming his name causing my voice to echo across the tunnel. I screamed my heart out for a whole minute and his body didn't even budge.

"FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE!"


	37. Chapter 37

CHAPTER 37  
**FLARE'S POV**

Groggy and slightly disoriented, I opened my eyes and felt a throbbing pain on my forehead. Reaching over that place with my paw, I felt a half healed wound and, retracting my hand, I saw my own blood. My vision was quite blurry but my surroundings came into focus eventually.

I was in what looked like a prison but I recognized this place after time. I wasn't in just any prison; I was in an underground prison run by the rebels. My cage was the only thing in the room.

I sighed and clutched my head and tried remembering what had happened. I remembered running towards the house, telling everyone to run, heading to the secret tunnel, encountering rebels, Dart showing up, Shade and his family being dragged away with him shouting, Dart punching me at the back of my head...

"Shana!" I yelled. I had to get to her before something bad happens. I blasted the bars with my Flamethrower but they didn't break. I tried again with my Extrasensory but I got the same result.

"Attack proof bars, aren't they great Flare?" a familiar voice said. Sitting in a chair I didn't notice the first time was Salem.

"Where's Shana?" I asked threateningly.

Salem yawned a bit. "In another cell with her parents. Dart will publicly execute soon."

"No..." I said horrified.

Salem just watched as I desperately blasted the bars with everything I had but to no avail. "Don't be stupid Flare. I promise; you'll be out eventually."

I stopped my attacks. "For what?"

He smiled mischievously. "Oh you'll see."

I growled angrily and sat down. Into my head came Shade yelling at me, saying that trusting me was a mistake. This was really all my fault; if I'd just left earlier, none of this would've happened. Now, they were gonna die because of me...

The door opened and a Cacturne appeared. Salem stood up and spoke to hm. "Finally, about time you got here."

The Cacturne just nodded and went over to my cell and opened it with a key. When the door swung open, I lunged forward to escape but then he caught me and stopped me from leaving.

"Let's go." Salem ordered as he left the room. Still being carried, I left the room and entered the underground tunnels which were surprisingly empty.

"Where're the rebels?" I asked Salem.

"On the surface slaughtering everyone in sight. Not many are left down here." Salem answered.

As I remained paralyzed with horror by what I did, we continued through the tunnels until we reached a door. The Cacturne opened it and we entered a large, circular cave with a high ceiling.

"Just throw him over there and close the door." Salem said. The Cacturne threw me across the room and I skidded a little until I stopped. Looking up, I saw the door being closed; Salem and I were the only ones in the room.

"Flare, I want you to listen closely to what I'm about to say." Salem said and he took out a key. "Shana and her family are being held in a cell at the end of this corridor. This is the only key that will free them."

For some strange reason, I believed him. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked as I stood up.

Salem surveyed me for a few seconds. "Do you remember what Peter said after they got that information from you?" he asked me.

I remembered it well. "He said...He said that I was the best intelligence gatherer the rebels had-"

"Exactly!" Salem shouted angrily and I flinched a little. "Despite everything I've done, you were still called that! While I was down here working the hell out of me, you were up there relaxing, not having to do much work at all! I've always worked harder than you; that title should be mine!"

"I never asked for that." I told him.

Unfortunately, he wasn't convinced. "I honestly don't care." He pointed at me. "You are my eternal rival Flare; d'you have any idea what it feels like to rival someone like you?"

I remembered all those time we trained under the rebels. Every time Salem and I were together, he would always try to out do me. Sometimes, I was better and he was at other times but I never really minded. For years, he's devoted his life to beating me at everything.

"You're one of the strongest guys I know Flare." Salem continued. "And I will beat you right here and now to prove that I'm stronger!"

He took out the key again. "The reason I told you where your precious Shana is is because I wanted you to go all out against me. Beat me and this key is yours. What's it going to be Flare?"

I just stared at him taking in the possibility to being able to save Shana and her family. Salem and I were equals in terms of strength; it's hard to determine the end of a battle between us but I had no choice.

"Alright, I'll fight you with everything I've got Salem." I said taking a battle stance.

He smiled and hid the key again. "In that case, allow me to make the first hit."

He opened his mouth and shot Dark Pulse at me. I used Quick Attack to dodge and then went straight for him. Salem readied a Night Slash and flew right at me. We collided causing an explosion; I jumped back and he took to the air. I fired Flamethrower at him but he used Aerial Ace to circle around the flames and headed for me. I countered with another Quick Attack and we collided head on. We were locked together and had to part.

Salem laughed. "I can't believe your strength Flare! I'm so happy to call you my equal!"

He fired another Dark Pulse and I countered with Flamethrower. After the ensuing explosion, I used the smoke as cover to sneak up close to him. I fired Heat Wave but he flew out of the way and came in quickly with Night Slash. I couldn't dodge and he struck me painfully. I was knocked aide but I landed on my feet and used Quick Attack. I hit him and knocked him a few feet away from me.

"Satisfied yet?" I asked him.

Salem recovered from my hit. "Not yet. We've only just started Flare."

He flew into the air and covered the area with Haze. I couldn't see him so I readied myself to dodge whenever he strikes. I felt a disturbance behind me and I jumped out of the way of Salem's Night Slash. I scanned the area for him but his black feathers blended in with the Haze making it hard to see him.

I had an idea. I spun around on my back while using Flamethrower just like what I did at the contest. Some of the Haze was blown away and I was able to see Salem fly around trying to dodge the arcs of flames.

"Two and play it that way!" Salem shouted. He spun in the air while firing Dark Pulse resulting in arms similar to mine. Every time our arcs collided, explosions ensued causing dust to fall from the ceiling.

We both got tired of spinning at the same time and we stopped our attacks. "I...I haven't fought like this in my whole life..." Salem said panting. "Thanks for the experience Flare..."

"Yeah, you're welcome..." I replied sarcastically. I was wasting time. Forget Salem's wish; I have to get that key.

I used Quick Attack and Salem flew upwards to avoid me. I jumped off the wall and charged at him again but he swatted me away with Night Slash. I landed on the ground and fired Heat Wave at him. He dodged and headed for me with Aerial Ace. Seeing this as an opportunity to steal the keys, I lunged at him with Quick Attack.

At the last second, I went slightly to the side and tried grabbing the key. But we were too fast and I wasn't able to grab it. We passed each other and I turned around and used Quick Attack again. Salem used Aerial Ace again and I made for the key again. I missed it and tried again.

But on my third attempt, it went wrong. Salem stopped in the middle of his Aerial Ace and fired Dark Pulse instead. I was in the middle of my Quick Attack when it happened and I wasn't able to dodge. I was hit and knocked aside. Before I could get up, Salem flew him and placed his foot on my chest, pinning me to the ground.

"You...You were trying to steal the key weren't you!" he asked angrily. "Damn it Flare, that isn't what I want!"

"I...I don't care Salem." I replied. "I just want to save-"

He pressed his foot against my chest painfully stopping me from completing my sentence. "Look me in the eye Flare. Tell me, do you love her?"

I paused for a while and looked into his eyes which were filled with rage. "Yes Salem. I love Shana with all my heart."

Salem leaned closer to my face. "The only way to get the key is by beating me. I'm the only thing that's standing between you and the girl you love is me! If you want to save her, then you have to beat me! And don't hold back because I won't!"

I could tell that he was motivating me to fight with all my strength. Stealing the key was no longer an option; I had to beat Salem to get it. In acceptance to his terms, I shot a Flamethrower right at his face. He was knocked off me and took to the air.

He turned around and fired Dark Pulse and I countered with Heat Wave. Our attacks missed each other and we were truck by the other's attack. I was knocked several feet away and Salem crashed into the ceiling. He started to fall and I launched a Flamethrower as he did. He was knocked back towards the wall but at the last second, he spun and hit with wall with his feet. After pausing for a split second, he kicked off and flew in with Night Slash. I countered with Quick Attack and we were both knocked aside again.

Salem was right; we were off the same level. He dove in with Aerial Ace and I spun on my back again while using Flamethrower. He successfully evaded the flames and went for me; at the last second, I jumped away and launched Flamethrower but Salem flew out of the way. My Flamethrower hit the wall causing a few stalactites to fall. when they hit the ground, they stuck out there.

That gave me and idea; looking up at the ceiling, I found several more stalactites. I could use them to my advantage. I fired another Flamethrower at the ceiling causing a few stalactites to fall. One fell right on top of Salem but he saw it and sliced it in half with Night Slash.

"Well that's that plan down the drain." Salem taunted. He fired another Dark Pulse and I dodged causing his attack to hit a stalactite. It exploded, sent up a dust cloud and gave me another idea.

I fired Extrasensory at the ceiling several times while dodging Salem's attacks. Several stalactites fell and after a few minutes, the entire floor was covered with them.

"You can't run now Flare!" Salem shouted. He was right but everything was going according to my plan. I spun on my back again but fired Extrasensory instead. Since Salem wouldn't be affected by it, he didn't bother dodging. Instead, my attacks struck every stalactite on the ground; every single one of them exploded violently and covered the entire care with dust. This was the moment I was waiting for.

I saw Salem coughing and trying to find me. Using the smoke as cover, I used Quick Attack to rebound off the wall and went for Salem whose back was turned against me. I grabbed him and pinned his wing to his side; as I fell, I lowered him and slammed his face into the ground. I wasn't through yet; I gave him a solid punch to his face. Then I threw his upwards and used Flamethrower which struck him and knocked him all the way to the ceiling. Several cracks appeared there. He finally fell down and collapsed on the ground. He tired getting up but his body remained downed.

"I...I won..." I said panting. Slowly, I walked over to Salem and got the key from him; he didn't protest at all. I turned around and headed for the door.

"Flare!" Salem suddenly shouted. I turned around and saw him panting tiredly. He then spoke in a tone I had never heard him use before.

"Flare...all I wanted is to become strong...I joined the rebels...to get stronger..." he told me. "When I first...saw you...I was so...so amazed by your strength...I just wanted to beat you...to get even stronger..."

So he never wanted to kill anyone? That was surprising news to me. "Why do you want strength so much?" I asked him.

Salem blinked and looked right at me. "Because...I"m afraid...I'm afraid that no one will remember me when I die..."

He coughed a little before continuing. "I have no family...and I'm just a lowly part of the rebels...No one would remember me if I die...I thought that...If I become...one of the strongest guys around...I would be remembered...Now that I lost...I just realized that...I'm weak...No one...will remember me..."

"Salem..." I said walking up to him. I paused a bit. "I'll remember you Salem."

He raised his head a bit. "You...will..."

"Of course. After all," I gave him a small smile. "You're my rival, aren't you Salem?"

He returned my smile and gave a small chuckle. "Y'know Flare...I never wanted you dead...You're...just too fun to compete with..."

"Salem...if we never joined the rebels...d'you think we could've been friends?" I asked him.

He gave a louder laugh ."I doubt it Flare...Now get outta here...Save your girl..."

I from the key to the door and then back to Salem. "Salem, d'you want to die right now?" I asked.

He sighed. "Honestly...I don't mind...since you'll remember me..."

"And if you lived, would you still want to beat me one day?"

"Yes...I would like that."

I extended my paw towards him. "Then join me Salem. If you still want to beat me one day, then join me."

He looked in wonder at me for several seconds. "Well...I guess I have to keep you alive until I beat you." Then, Salem slowly raised his right wing and grabbed my paw. I helped him to his feet and, after wobbling a little, he was able to stand on his own.

"Alright Flare, let's go save your girl." Salem said and we were off.


	38. Chapter 38

CHAPTER 38  
**SHANA'S POV**

"Hey, shut up!" the Tangrowth holding me shouted as I continued to scream Flare's name.

I ignored him and continued screaming. "FLARE!" All I wanted was for him to reply, to show that he was still alive. If he wasn't, I didn't see any point in living anymore...

"FLARE!"

"Shut up!" the Tangrowth yelled again. He carried me and my parents to a hole at the side of the escape tunnel. When I saw how dark it was and how much it went underground, I was overcome with pure terror. I struggled with all my might and the Tangrowth had to stop to secure me more.

As I struggled, I saw a large boulder suddenly levitate and hover over the Tangrowth's head. I caste a sidelong look and saw my mom control it with Psychic; the Tangrowth was too busy restraining me to notice. After a few seconds, my mom smashed the boulder onto the Tangrowth's head and momentarily dazed him. My dad was able to free his mouth and fired Hyper Beam at the Tanrgowth's stomach causing him to drop all three of us.

As soon as I hit the ground, I made a beeline for Flare ignoring my parents telling me to go back. The Tangrowth recovered and used Grass Knot to trip me and I slammed painfully into the ground.

"Shana!" I heard my dad yell. I saw him use Quick Attack to get to me but he was also tripped my a Grass Knot. The Tangrowth charged at him but my mom knocked him to the wall with Signal Beam.

The Tangrowth recovered and held up two things: a Salac Berry and Enigma Berry. I told my parents who hadn't noticed this to run but he used the Salac Berry and fired Natural Gift. It became a sphere of white light that slammed into my forehead and sent me crashing into the wall.

Vaguely, I heard my parents shout my name. Really weak, I saw the Tangrowth use the Enigma Berry and fire a rainbow beam at my parents. They, like me, were knocked into the wall and didn't have enough strength to get up. The Tangrowth restrained us again and head down the tunnel as if nothing had happened. As soon as I realized how far underground I was, I panicked but I was too weak. I slowly closed my and passed out.

* * *

"Shana...Shana...wake up..." my dad's voice came. I groaned a little and his face went from blurry to clear.

"Did I...pass out?" I asked.

"Yeah you did." my mom replied. I saw that we were inside a cage and that we were under ground.

"How long was I out?"

"Hours. We were thrown in here to keep us prisoners." my dad said.

Being underground, I was terrified and I just wanted to get out. I got to my feet and drove them into the ground but I just ended up hurting myself.

"I can't Dig out of here." I said.

"The bar are also attack proof so we can't blast our way out of here." my mom said. "I can't even use Psychic to pick up stuff out of here."

"But there has to be a way of of here!" I said desperately.

"There isn't any Shana." my dad said. He clenched his fists angrily. "You, me and your mom, we're all going to die because of Flare." He walked over and grabbed the bars. "I can't believe this!"

"Dad," I said walking towards him. "Flare didn't mean any of this."

"He's a rebel Shana." my dad said facing me. "All the rebels ever wanted was the three of us dead."

I shook my head. I just had to make him understand. "No not Flare. He never wanted this to happen."

"He was sent to kill you Shana." my dad asserted.

"Yeah maybe so but he never wanted me dead." I said. "He loves me dad and...and I love him...and-"

"No." My dad held up his paw. "He's a rebel Shana; I don't want you anywhere near him."

I stared at him shocked. "I love him dad. I-"

"Shana, Flare gave valuable information to Dart; he put us all in danger."

"He never intended any of this to happen." My tone rose slightly. "I'm sure that if he could've stopped all of this, he would've. If we get out of here-"

"If we get out of here Shana and if we do win this thing in the end, I'll treat him like any other rebel and deal with him accordingly. In fact, I'll make sure we never see him again."

My heart sunk at that thought, of never seeing Flare again. "No dad...please..."

"Shana, I don't want any of us to be in any more danger."

"Flare's not dangerous!" I almost shouted. "He's brave, he's caring, he's-"

"A rebel." my dad finished. "I don't want you anywhere near him Shana."

"Dad-"

But my mom spoke this time. "Shana please, Flare's already done enough damage today. Who knows what else may happen if you stick with him?"

I couldn't believe this...My parents were telling me never to see Flare again. No..."You guys..." I felt close to tears.

"I'm not so sure about you loving him either." my dad said and I turned to him shocked. "You might just end up pouring your heart out to him giving him more secrets to-"

"No. Flare's not like that!" I said shaking my head. "He'd never do anything like that!"

"Shana, these feeling of yours to him will just hurt you more. Why can't you understand that your dad and I want to prevent that?" my mom said pleadingly.

Miserable, I closed my eyes and covered them with my shaky paws. "No...I love...I love..."

"Flare is a rebel Shana and rebels want all of us dead." my dad said slowly in a raised voice. "He is our enemy."

Absolutely fed up, I uncovered my eyes and glared angrily at both of them. "Well who are you to say that I can't love someone who's supposed to be my enemy!"

That shut both of my parents up good; the arguments stopped and I slumped down and leaned against the bars. I don't care what anyone else thinks; I love Flare and I won't let anyone stop me from doing that, especially my parents.

Suddenly, the door burst open revealing the figure of Flare alive and well. "Flare!" I shouted. I was so glad to see him still alive that I nearly cried.

"Shana." he said. He ran over to the cell and held the bars. I held him paws and we both smiled. "I'm going to get you all out of here. I promise."

Unfortunately, my dad wasn't as glad as I was to see Flare. "You," he said with an angry look. "If this is some trick-"

"I swear Shade. This isn't a trick." Flare took out a key and inserted it into the lock. A clicking sound later and the door swung open; I wanted so much to leap into Flares arms but my dad stepped between us.

"We'll discuss you when this is all over." he said seriously.

Flare nodded. "I understand." He turned around and went for the door.

"And Flare," my dad added. Flare turned around; my dad paused for a few seconds before saying: "You're fired."

Wow, like that really mattered right now. Flare just nodded slowly. "Yeah well, I'm still gonna protect your daughter. C'mon, we have to go."

With Flare leading us, me and my parents left the room and entered the main tunnel. My mom then gasped and turning, we saw a tired Murkrow head for us. Instinctively, my dad ran up in front of us ready to fight.

"Relax, I won't do anything." he said stopping suddenly.

"It's cool. He's with me." Flare said. "Salem, you find the nearest exit?"

Salem? "Wait, you're that Murkrow Flare and I saw!" I said recognizing him.

"And you must be Shana; Flare's told me about you." Salem replied.

"Uh Salem, exit?" Flare reminded.

"Ah yes, this way."

With Salem leading, the five of us ran down the empty tunnel. I couldn't believe the rebels were able to build this kind of thing run under my dad's nose. Eventually, we came across a large cavern with a high ceiling.

"The exit's right there." Salem said pointing at a pathway on the other end. The five of us ran forward but halfway, Flare stopped and turned around.

"Damn it." he said and we all stopped. "Salem, get Shana and her family to safety. I'll hold them off as long as I can."

"Hold what off?" I asked him.

Before he could answer, several bursts of blue flames shot out of the tunnel we just left. We scattered to avoid them but someone using Flame Wheel came out and went right for Flare. He fired Extrasensory forcing his attacker to be knocked back. The attack ended and a Ninetales landed in front of the tunnel; another Ninetales showed up next to him.

"Oh this's just perfect." Flare muttered. "Shade, I'd like you to meet my parents Pyro and Cynder."

"You traitor!" Cynder shouted. Her tails pointed outwards and their tips were covered in the blue flames of Will-o-Wisp; she looke very menacing. She fired them at Flare who barely dodged it.

"Salem, get Shana and her parents out now!" Flare shouted.

I went to Flare and grabbed his arm. "I'm not leaving you Flare."

"Shana, we have to go." my dad said.

"I'm not leaving him!" I shouted.

"Shana..." Flare began but I silenced him by holding up my paw.

"I will never leave you Flare. I will be right by your side no matter what." I told him.

"But Shana-"

"Good, don't leave! That way we can kill all off you together!" Pyro yelled firing a Flamethrower at me. I dodged and readied myself to counter attack but then my dad shot a Hyper Beam and hit Pyro.

"How dare you try to hurt my daughter!" he yelled. Pyro recovered and used Flame Wheel to travel around us until he was blocking the tunnel out of here.

"It seems like we have to fight our way out of here." Salem said.

"Maybe not." my mom said. "Cover me for one minute and when I say so, run as fast as you can for the exit."

My dad nodded. "Mom, what're you-"

Cynder's Will-o-Wisp stopped me from finishing. I countered with my Shadow Ball and canceled out the attack. Pyro rolled in with Flame Wheel and dodged Salem's Dark Pulse. Flare's Extrasensory was also dodged, and my dad used swift which hit him and knocked him back. Cynder ran toward us while rapidly firing Will-o-Wisp and I ran up to counter her. A volley of blue flames came my way but I made copies of myself to take the attack. I used Iron Tail and knocked Cynder several feet back but she landed on her feet.

"Well mom?" I whispered.

"Almost there." she replied with closed eyes.

At the same time, Pyro and Cynder fired their Flamethrowers. Flare, Salem, my dad and I split up and countered the two streams of flames. Together, Flare's Extrasensory and my Shadow Ball stopped Cynder's Flamethrower in its tracks and the same went for my dad and Salem. Together, the four of us stalled them for several seconds until my mom looked at the ceiling and gave a loud cry.

More than fifty of my mom's Future Sights appeared and fired upwards; all of us stopped what we were doing and my mom shouted: "RUN!"

As soon as her Future Sights hit the ceiling, the entire cave shuddered violently. Several large boulders began to fall forcing Pyro and Cynder to retreat back the way they came. Following them, the five of us ran as fast as we could dodging every boulder that blocked our way.

My mom and Salem reached the exit tunnel first. I saw one boulder fall right on top of me. My dad was next and blasted a boulder that was about to hit me. He shouted at me to run faster and I did.

"Look out!" he shouted pointing at a boulder headed right for me. I didn't have time to dodge it.

Suddenly, Flare used Quick Attack and knocked me into the tunnel. I recovered and looked back just to see a large boulder fall right on top of him.

"Flare!" I screamed; I lunged forward to help him but more boulders fell and blocked the path. "Flare!"

"Shana, there's no time!" my dad yelled but then I saw Salem blast apart the rock with Dark Pulse; he seemed to be as determined to save Flare as I was. I helped him with Iron Tail and we smashed our way through several rocks.

Finally, we found his paw sticking out of a very large boulder. I smashed it to pieces and ran to his side. "Flare...c'mon Flare, answer me."

He didn't but his slow breathing told me that he was unconscious. "How is he?" Salem asked walking up to me.

"He's fine, just knocked out." I saw I looked at him and said: "Thank you." even though he couldn't here me. I kissed his forehead and slung him on my back. Salem and I went to my parents.

"That should stop anyone else from pursuing us." my mom said eying the mess she made. She suddenly wobbled a bit and my dad caught her.

"You alright Shine?" he asked worriedly.

She nodded. "I'm fine; I haven't made that many Future Sights in a long time."

"So where now?" Salem asked.

"When we get to the surface, we'll find out where we are and head to our nearest safe house." my dad said going up the tunnel, my mom following. Salem followed and, still carrying Flare, so did I.


	39. Chapter 39

CHAPTER 39  
**FLARE'S POV**

A horribly bitter yet strangely familiar taste assaulted my mouth. I bolted upright with my mouth open and grabbed a glass of water held by Shana. I hastily emptied it riding my mouth of the horrible taste.

"I'm sorry Flare. I had to use another Revival Herb to wake you up." she apologized.

I set the glass down, panted a little and took a look at where I was. I was on a sofa in what looked like an ordinary living room in an ordinary house. The curtains blocked the windows and the light was out. Judging by a tiny shaft of orange light from the window, I guessed that it was sunset. We'd been underground all night and almost a whole day.

"Where...are we?" I asked Shana.

"It's one of the many safe houses we're supposed to go in case of any emergency." Shana answered. "More specifically, we're in my dad's old house in Crimson City."

lI clutched my slightly aching head. "What happened?"

"A boulder fell on you and knocked you out." Salem said entering the room. "After that, Shade told us to hide out here for the time being."

"Where are they?"

"Resting upstairs. Using those Future Sights really wore my mom out." Shana answered.

At that moment, we heard footsteps going down stairs as Shade and Shine entered the room. "Doing alright mom?" Shana asked.

"I'm fine. A little woozy but fine." she replied.

"So uh, what's the plan?" I asked them.

Shade looked at me disappointingly for a second. "Right now, the nation's own military is searching every safe house in the nation. They'll find us eventually so all we have to do is wait."

"How long can we wait?" Salem asked.

"I've gone over our food supplies." my mom answered. "For all of us, we have about a month of food."

"That's good to hear." Shana said.

Shade looked troubled. "I'm worried about our friends. If Dart's right, they should all be captured; we'll need their help if we want to win this in the end."

I looked sideways and saw Shana's worried face. Zara and Slick, neither of us knew what happened to them. Hopefully, they would still be alive.

"We have to find out where everyone's being held captive but how?" Shine asked out loud. As everyone thought about this, an idea struck me.

"Salem." I said turning to him. He raised his eyebrows, and I turned to Shade. "All the rebels now that I'm a traitor. Pyro and Cynder should still be recovering from the battle, and no one else was in the tunnel. That means Salem's the only one here who wouldn't be in trouble if he's spotted. He could scout out and pretend to still be in league with the rebels. That way, he could easily gain any kind of information they know."

"I agree with Flare dad. You think you could do it Salem?" Shana asked.

Amused, he laughed. "Information gathering is my specialty. And since I'm just as talented as Flare, I suppose I could do it."

He was eager to do it but Shade shook his head. "We can't risk that; what if he gives away our location?"

Salem laughed again. "Please, what would I gain if I did that?" he replied. "If I did that, the rebels would surely find you and kill you all. Flare is my eternal rival and I wouldn't let him die until I beat him."

"Well dad, what do you think?" Shana asked.

He turned to Shine and they discussed this. Shade shook his head unsure of the decision but Shine continued talking; Shade sighed and turned to Salem.

"Alright, you can go. If you find our forces, tell them where we are." Shade said.

Salem gave a respectful bow, opened the front door and flew off. "Now, we wait." Shine said.

I agreed with them; with Salem gathering info, there was really nothing else we could do. "We're going to make dinner." Shade said heading to the kitchen with Shine leaving Shana and I alone.

"I uh...I gonna go." she said. "You should get some rest Flare. If you need me, I'm on the first door to the left."

She went upstairs. I laid back down on the couch and let out a big sigh. I really screwed everything up by not leaving when I should have. The rebels have taken over and Dart's the one ruling the nation. Shade and Shine now distrust me because of what I've done. And Shana...

I rolled sideways until I was facing the back of the couch. Shana must think differently of me now that my secret's out. She knows that I wanted her dead and that I lied about almost everything. She must hate me...she must hate me...

Biting my lip, I jumped off the couch and went upstairs. The first door to my right contained the master bedroom where I guessed Shade and Shine would be sleeping. The door to the first door on my left was slightly ajar. Hesitantly, I peered through the gap; Shana was taking a peak out of the window. I sighed and hesitated for a few seconds before I opened the door slowly and took a deep breath.

"Shana..."

"Those are are my grandparents y'know?" Shana said before I could begin. Confused, I was gestured by her to come over. I peered through the window and saw a garden at the back of the house. There was a grave at the end of the garden.

"Every Christmas,we would go here and spend the holiday alone, just the three of us." Shana continued. "The reason this place is a safe house is because during the war, my dad would always think of this house as a place to rest, where he could be in peace."

Shana sighed. "Maybe Flare, next Christmas, you can join us when we go here."

I took my eyes off the window and stared at her unable to believe what I just heard. "Shana...I...you..."

She held up her paw. "I love you Flare. You don't have to feel bad about keeping this from me." she told me.

"Yeah but..." I hesitated again. "I'm rebel Shana." I said sadly turning away from her.

I felt her place her paw on my shoulder. "No you're not and honestly Flare, I don't think you ever were." She made me face her and she looked into my eyes. "When look into your eyes Flare, I don't see a rebel. I see someone who would never hurt anyone just because they wanted to. I see someone brave enough to admit his mistakes and willing enough to fix them. I see someone who has a lot of pain inside and who needs someone to help him let it all out."

It was true, all of it. I choked a little and started crying suddenly. Shana wrapped her arms around me and stroke me comfortingly.

"I hated it...so much...!" I cried out. "They treated me like crap! I...I never..ate enough...or slept enough...I wasn't cared for at all..!"

Shana hugged me tighter. "Go on, say whatever you feel Flare." she said soothingly.

And I did; I told her everything, my life with the rebels and how miserable I was, the things I was forced to do and the things I was never able to experience, all the emotions I felt , anger, sadness, frustration and guilt, when I did horrible things, everything. I left nothing untouched.

I had never opened up this much to anyone before. As I spoke, Shana listened which no rebel has ever done for me. I poured my heart out to her and she took it without hesitation.

When I was done, I sniffed and Shana wiped my tears away. "You've been through so much. I wish I was there for you when you needed me."

"Th...thanks Shana." I said. "I...we..."

"It's OK Flare; let it out." she encouraged.

I tried to regain my composure and wiped the last of the tears in my eyes. "Shana, it's just...you're parents don't want us together. If the rebels found out about us, we'd all be dead. I just don't know if..."

"Flare." She placed a paw on my cheek and I turned red a bit. "Don't worry about it; together, we can take anything thrown at us. Don't you remember when we first danced? We sang it ourselves; let it rain, let it pour..."

I remembered like it was yesterday. "What we have is worth fighting for..." I whispered; my face leaned slightly towards hers.

Shana's face did the same as she whispered: "You know that I believe..."

Together: "That we were meant to be..."

Footsteps were heard and Shana and I parted when we were just inches away. We turned to the door and saw Shine there.

"Dinner's ready you two." she said. She wasn't as suspecting as Shade would've been. Shine went back downstairs; Shana smiled at me, I smiled back and we went down to have dinner.

Our dinner was actually a mash of berries mixed with a little sugar. It was getting dark now but Shade lit the rings on his body and gave us enough light to eat. As we did, I felt Shade's eyes on me most of the time, and when I look at him he looks away.

Dinner ended and we decided to go to bed. While Shade and Shine slept in the master's bedroom, I was just given a blanket and told to sleep on the couch while Shana got to sleep in her dad's old room. The still didn't trust me but I guess I couldn't help it.

When I laid down on my side, I felt someone lie done on the couch next to me and hugged my back. "Shana?"

"It's really lonely in my dad's old room." she told me.

"They're really troubled aren't they?" I asked.

"You don't know the half of it." Shana said. "When the War of the Plates ended, my mom and dad were so glad and thought that they would never have to fight again. Now that a new war's started, it's like reliving old memories to them."

A war, I guess that's what you'd call this whole mess. "Shana, d'you think we'll win this in the end?"

Shana hugged my tightly and I held her paws. "We have to."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Shana and I raised our head as the knocking continued. We heard someone go down the stairs , and Shana and I got off the couch. Shade showed up followed by Shine. Approaching the door carefully, he opened it revealing Salem.

"Your informant has arrived." he said with a smirk. "I need a map of the nation."

Shana got one and placed it on the kitchen table. Using a pencil, Salem drew seven circles across the nation, three here in Crimson City, three in Amber and two in Central. "The rebels have captured all of your friends and their families and held them captured in different areas across the nation." Salem said pointing at the circles. "I wasn't able to identify who's being held captive in which prison but I assure you that they're all still alive."

"Thank goodness." Shine said relieved.

"What about our forces looking for us?" Shade asked.

Salem shook his head. "I saw them try and tried to signal them but rebels found them and they were taken out." Salem looked out the window. "It's hell out there. Rebels are just going around killing everyone they see just for fun. When they're not, they're either looting or drinking. They found an Umbreon and thought it was Shade. They killed him anyway."

Shade stared at the map thinking. Shana and I exchanged looks. We were all alone now. The nations was in chaos, and it's all my fault. We, no...I had to do something.

"What do we do?" Shana asked.

"We have to save everyone." Shade said. "We'll need their help in winning this. After we save them, we'll make an attack on our old house and try to overthrow Dart."

"That plan sounds easier when you say it; is actually doing it just as easy?" Salem asked.

"No, it's not." Shade said. "But what other choice do we have?"

None of us answered that. Shade sighed and put the map away and told us all to go to bed. He went back upstairs with Shine. "I'll meet you upstairs Shana. Go to bed without me; I'll be fine."

She looked at me worriedly. "Alright Flare. I'll see you in the morning." she said and she went up to her dad's old room. Now alone, I turned to Salem.

"You truly love her, don't you Flare?" he asked me.

"I do but that's what makes what I'm going to do so painful to both of us." I said.

Salem looked at me surprised, and I sat down on a chair. "Salem, everything that's going on is my fault. I caused all of this so I have to be the one to end it."

"Flare surely, you're not suggesting what I think you are." Salem said quickly.

"I am." I said seriously; he didn't look to happy. "I'm leaving Salem; I'm going back to Central City and try to overthrow Dart. I need you to protect-"

"I'm going with you." he interrupted.

I shook my head. "No Salem, I need someone to stay to protect Shana." I insisted.

"She has her parents; besides, who will make sure you will come back alive?" Salem asked.

"I'll make sure."

"No; you don't stand a chance against Dart. I'm going with you."

"Salem-"

"You leave without me and I'll tell Shana about this little plan of yours." Salem warned.

I stood up and walked towards him. "You wouldn't."

Salem stood his ground. "I would; what's it going to be Flare?"

I gritted my teeth in frustration; I had to do this but I couldn't leave Shana unprotected. Would Shade and Shine be enough for her? But if they can go and free the other guards, Shana would have even more protection.

I decided to fulfill Salem's desire. "Alright Salem. You can go with me." He smiled satisfyingly. "Just give me a few moments first. Meet me outside the front door."

Salem nodded and left. I paused for several seconds before searching around until I found a blank piece of paper and a pen. I began writing a letter, and I almost cried while doing so. When I was done, I folded it up and crept upstairs. Shana was already sleeping when I entered the room. I took one last look at her beautiful face and placed the letter at the foot of the bed.

"I love you Shana..." I whispered before leaving. She didn't notice a thing. I silently went back downstairs and went out of the front door.

"Ready to go Flare?" Salem asked. I turned around and took one last look at the house before answering.

"I am." I replied. Together, Salem and I left completely unnoticed; the words of the letter I wrote were burned into my mind.

_I understand that what I've done was the cause of all this mess. If I could have prevented all of this, I would have tried to with all I could. The rebels are ruthless, heartless and merciless but I'm not. I was very young when they made me join them. Their cruel ways weren't passed on to me. I never wanted to hurt anyone who did nothing wrong._

_By the time you read this letter, I will have already left. I will head to Central City and, together with Salem, will end Dart's reign once and for all. I caused all of this, so it's my responsibility to end all of it._

_Shade and Shine, honestly, you two were the closest things I've had to actual parents since I joined the rebels. I understand that you're both very upset about me and what I've done to you, your family, your friends and the nation; I didn't mean any of it, and I'm truly sorry about everything. I want to thank both of you for the kindness and hospitality you showed when no one else did._

_Shana...I love you. Ever since I joined the rebels, you were the first to make me feel loved. I couldn't bear living without you which is why I have to do this without you. I ask you to please don't follow me; it's just too dangerous. Stick with your parents and rescue the other guards; you might lose my protection but you'll gain more from others._

_I understand that you'll feel upset about my leaving and I'm sorry. This is something I have to do myself. If I'm successful, you wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. I will take Dart down so that in the future, you can lead this nation in peace. Good bye Shana..._

_Love, always and forever,_

_Flare_


	40. Chapter 40

CHAPTER 40  
**ZARA'S POV**

I was in the middle of this really nice dream where Slick and I were rowing in a boat across a river on a bright sunny day when an explosion surprised me and made me jump out of my bed. As I rubbed my aching back, more explosions made the floor shudder; I tried standing up, but all the shuddering threw me back down. I grabbed the leg of my bed, pulled myself up and ran out of my room.

As soon as I was out, I made a beeline for the stairs and went up a floor. I could hear from the lower floors that someone was also going up. I moved a bit faster and ran down the corridor until I reached my parent's room.

"Zara!" my mom screamed when she saw me. I tried walking towards her but an explosion knocked me off my feet.

"What the hell's going on!" I asked out loud.

My dad looked out the window and, his eyes widened. "Holy crap! Rebels're attacking!"

"What!" my mom exclaimed. "Slice, are you sure?"

"You bet I am. C'mon, we've gotta get to Shade!" my dad said heading towards the door.

"Zara, stay near us." my mom said helping me stand. I nodded to her.

My dad opened the door but there was a Tauros there. Before he could do anything, the Tauros charged and rammed my dad. They went across the room, and my dad was slammed against the wall. He yelled out in pain but then he passed out.

"Dad!" I screamed.

"Release him!" my mom shouted angrily. She tried using High Jump Kick but, mid air, an Energy Ball struck her back, and she cried out in pain. She fell down, and I ran to her.

"Mom!"

"R...Run...Za...ra..." she said weakly.

"Mom!" I screamed again. I saw another Energy Ball come my way and ducked. It hit the window instead and smashed a hole in it. I saw a Grottle rebel at the door but more rebels started to show up. They fired at me and I ducked.

"Run Zara...please...save yourself..." my mom said before finally passing out. I tried shaking her but she didn't wake up. The rebels fired more attacks and, thinking fast, I jumped out of the window.

I would've crashed to the ground and have really bad injuries if I hadn't created an ice ramp. I slid down and ran as fast as I could away from the house. I was crying; I can't believe I just left my parents like that!

There were rebels everywhere. Some weren't even attacking our house and instead destroyed every building they could find. When whoever was in the building came out running, the rebels just killed them. I was just so scared by the sight of so many Pokemon being killed right in front of me that I nearly passed out.

"Hey look, there's one!" I turned around and saw a Scizor and a Chimecho running towards me. I freaked out and ran away as fast as I could, but the Chimecho kept shooting Shock Wave at me. I turned around and shot Ice Beam at their feet. The Scizor slipped and crashed into the Chimecho and I took off.

I found an empty book store and ran into it. I jumped over the counter and hid under the cash register. I thought I'd gotten away from them but I heard the door open and the Chimecho say: "I saw her go in here." I covered my mouth and held my breath.

I heard them go around around the store looking for me. My heart was pounding so fast I got scared that they might hear it. "You sure you saw her go in here?" the Scizor asked. "There's no one else here but us."

"Alright, alright, I'll admit it, I was wrong." the Chimecho said. "Hey, while we're here, let's steal some cash."

I heard the Scizor walk towards the register and shake it trying to get the money inside. I heard the register smash to pieces had a few coins fell in front of me. One landed on its side and rolled towards me stopped before it could touch me.

"Damn it, I dropped a few." The Scizor leaned on the table and started reaching for the coins that fell. My leg accidentally twitched and made the coin near me slide and hit his claw. I held my breath and prayed that he didn't notice.

"I think you were right." he said. His claw swung upwards and I rolled forward; he sliced the table I was hiding under in half and charged at me. He swung a Metal Claw and I deflected it and kicked him in the chest.

"You know martial arts? That's unusual for an Ice type." the Scizor said before charging again. I slid under his feet and tried going for the door but the Chimecho fired another Shock Wave and I had to jump sideways to dodge. I found him between two aisles of books, I charged at him.

He fired Shock Wave again but I jumped over it and kicked the side of his head and knocked him out. I landed, and saw the Scizor come at me with another annoying Metal Claw; I ducked and punched his stomach twice before he knocked me into a bookshelf filled with encyclopedias.

That gave me an idea. When he came charging at me I rolled under his legs and fired Ice Beam. He turned around and got hit in the chest and slammed into the shelf. This caused a really thick encyclopedia to fall from the top shelf and hit him in the head. He wobbled a little and collapsed.

I just stood there panting and then it hit me; I just beat two rebels! I laughed nervously.

"Y...Yeah, take that!" I yelled. I went over to the Chimecho. "How'd you like that huh? You just got beaten by a little girl! You rebels aren't so tough!" I put my hands on my hips and smiled at them.

I screamed and flinched when I heard the window break. I turned around and saw an Electrode who started glowing. Running for my life, I used the back entrance of the store to escape just before he exploded and blew the entire store to smithereens.

The explosion knocked me off the ground. I got up and ran away as fast as I could before more rebels show up. I ran down an alley and hid behind a dumpster. I was panting and sweating like crazy, and I was so scared.

I looked forward and gasped. I knew this path! I got up and slowly made my way out of the alley and through a lot of streets. No rebel saw me but I was still a little scared. After a few minutes of walking a path I did so many times, I finally reached it, the orphanage where I came from.

At least, what's left of it.

My first home...It was gone...The whole building was just a pile of rubble and wood. Whenever school made us do volunteer work, I'd always go here. I'd read stories to the kids and play with them and stuff like that. I saw large blood pools under some pieces of rubble and small paws and hands sticking out of them.

I dropped to my knees and covered my mouth. I saw more and more children's bodies buried under rubble, and I felt like throwing up. I was shaking so much, I swear I almost fainted.

Suddenly, I heard something move under a wide and thick piece of wood. I ran over there and tried lifting it up. Under it was a Kangaskhan I knew.

"Aunty!" I shouted. She's been taking care of orphans even before I lived there. No one knew her real name, but she told us to call her "Aunty". She remembered everyone she's ever cared for.

She coughed a bit and looked at me. "Bl...Blizzara, is that you?" she said weakly.

"Aunty, what happened?" I asked her.

"Rebels...they were heartless..." She coughed some more. "I tried to...protect the children...but..."

"Aunty, just stop it please!" I begged.

"Aunty?" a soft voice said. I looked over my shoulder and saw a really young Buneary with only a few scratches. "Aunty!" he screamed before running to her.

Aunty smiled. "Brownie...you're alive...that's so wonderful..."

"Aunty...Aunty!" Brownie cried as he shook her shoulder.

"Brownie...is still just a baby...'Aunty'...is the only word he knows...Zara..." She looked right at me. "I'm sorry to ask this...but please...keep him safe..."

"Aunty..." I whispered. She smiled at me one last time before sighing and closing her eyes. "Aunty?"

She didn't answer. "Aunty..." I said louder. "Aunty!" I started crying. "AUNTY!"

Beside me, Brownie was crying just as hard as I was. Aunty was one of the most caring Pokemon I knew...and she's dead. I went over to Brownie and cuddled him in my arms as we cried over Aunty's death.

I don't know how long we cried, but we stopped after a long time. Aunty was like me first mom; now...now my mom right now's in trouble! I...I had to save my parents, but I couldn't do it alone. I couldn't get to Flare or Shana wherever they were, so there was only one guy who could help me.

I swallowed and stood up. "C'mon Brownie, we've gotta go."

"Aunty?" he asked looking at where she was.

"We can't do anything about her. But I'll take care of you instead."

Brownie looked right at me and pointed at my face. "Aunty?"

I was able to smile 'cause of that. "Y...yeah. I'm your Aunty Zara."

"Aunty Zawa." he said slowly.

Wow, I taught him one new word. Maybe keeping an eye on him won't be so bad. He held my hand and we started walking.

It was really hard trying to walk since there were a lot of rebels running around. Brownie and I had to keep hiding when we saw of heard rebels coming. A lot of buildings were on fire; I hoped the one we were going to wasn't.

I think it was after an hour of walking that we finally found the apartment building I was looking for. After checking there there weren't any rebels around. I ran up the stairs to the third floor. I stopped at room 301 and rang the doorbell. I waited for like, a whole minute until the door swung open. Slick was there holding a golf club in one hand.

"Zara..." he whispered dropping the golf club. I ran into his arms and held him tightly. I felt him place his paws on my back.

"You're alive..." I whispered. I felt like crying again.

"And so are you..." Slick said. "Who's your little friend?"

I broke away from the hug and showed Brownie to him. "This's Brownie Slick."

"Swik!" Brownie said loudly. Wow, three words.

Slick turned to me. "Let's talk inside; it's far to dangerous out here." I agreed and the three of us went into his house.

* * *

I've decided to give Zara and Slick their own mini arc. I hope you guys don't mind. Don't worry; it won't be long.


	41. Chapter 41

Hey guys, there's a poll on my profile page so please check it out.

* * *

CHAPTER 41  
**SLICK'S POV **

The apartment where I lived in was rather clean considering the mess that's going on outside. As soon as the rebels began their assault on the city. My mother, a Linoone named Linda, rushed home from work as fast as she could. I was already asleep when I heard the distant explosions. I was more calm about this than my mother who was shivering in fright and hid in her room.

Before, my mother was completely different from what she is right now. She was always smiling, laughing and just enjoying life. That all changed when my father died; I was just starting high school when that happened. Now widowed, my mother changed completely. She rarely smiles and talks and spend most of her time away at work. When she does arrive home, all she does is sleep and then leaves again.

She didn't forget about me, her only son. When she's gone, she still makes sure I get what I need when I need it. All the time I spent alone at home taught me to be self sufficient. I know how to take care of myself and the house with out any help.

But enough about me. I lead Zara and Brownie into our living room and sat them down on the couch. I sat down across them. "Now what happened?" I asked.

"Rebels attacked our house." Zara explained. "My mom and ad tried to get to Uncle Shade but...they got captured." Zara looked down. "They told me to run, and I did, but some rebels attacked me. I fought them off and well..."

Before Zara could continue, a banging sound came from the closet. "What's in there Slick?" Zara asked.

I stood up. "Let's me show you."

I first went back to the front door and picked up the golf club. Then I led Zara and Brownie to the closet who's inhabitant continued to struggle. Holding the club firmly, I opened the door revealing a struggling Meditite tied to a chair and piece of duct tape stuck over his mouth.

"Who's that?" Zara asked covering Brownie with her arm.

"A rebel." I answered. "He came here to kill us but I was able to subdue hi-"

Before I could finish, Zara violently wrenched the club from my hand and swung it at the Meditite's chest. Throwing the club aside, she ripped the tape of the rebel's mouth and started beating him violently.

"They were just kids!" she screamed as her fist made contact with his face for the fifth time. "You're a monster!"

I had never seen her this angry before, not even when others insult her parentage. Just as she recoiled her left arm, I caught it. "That's enough Zara." I said calmly.

Zara stopped her assault, but she didn't calm down; Brownie was cowering behind me. The Meditite spat blood out of his mouth and had bruises all over his body. "I wasn't part of the attack..." he said weakly.

"What attack? What's he talking about Zara?" I asked her.

She was still seething with anger when she answered. "The orphanage...and everyone in it...gone..." She clenched her fists. "They're all dead...and now...I want all rebels dead!"

"Zara..."

"That's all they do, kill, kill and more killing!" she shouted angrily with tears in her eyes. "And they do it just 'cause they like it! I hate them; I hate all of them!"

She raised her fist to punch him again but I caught it. "Enough Zara. Honestly, I would like to beat him myself but that won't bring those who died back." Zara looked at me and lowered her hand. "And if you killed him, that wouldn't make you any better than they are."

My words were able to reach her. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I...I'm sorry Slick I'm just so..."

"All is forgiven Zara." I assured her before turning to the Meditite. "Your death won't help us, but what you know will."

"I'm not saying anything." he said bitterly.

"Do you want another golf club hitting the back of your skull or should I let Zara take her anger out on you?" I offered.

The rebel glared at me. "Fine. What d'you want?"

"Where are my parents?" Zara asked. "Slice and Chi, where are they?"

"Pft. They're in the prison in Crimson City." he answered. "After Dart executes Shade and his family, he'll move on to them."

"Wait, Uncle Shade's been captured?" Zara asked.

"Yeah you bet they are." He gave a triumphant smile.

Zara shook her head. "No. Shana can't be captured. She's got Flare to protect her."

"Heh, I doubt it." the rebel said with a sneer.

At that, I glared at him. "What are you talking about?" I asked him.

The rebel gave a hearty laugh before answering. "You guys're idiots. Flare's one of us! He's a rebel!"

"What!" Zara and I said together, me out of shock, her out of anger. I just couldn't believe that; Flare, a rebel?

"I don't believe you." I told him sternly. "Flare can't be a rebel."

The Meditite turned to Zara. "How d'you think the rebels' attack worked so well? We knew everything, the layout of your house to the secret underground exit. We got all that from Flare who was sent to kill Shana and her family."

"He...he's right Slick..." Zara told me. "Flare's the only outside our family that knows all those secrets. Only Flare could've..."

She was right. As Much as I wanted to deny it, Flare is a rebel. He was one of those who wanted to let Dart reign over this nation. He deceived us...But were his feelings for Shana true or not?

"Zara, I know you've got conflicting emotions right now, but we shouldn't worry about that." I said. "We can find out the truth later, but for now, we should focus on saving your parents."

Zara gave out a big sigh and nodded. As I placed the tape back on the rebel's mouth, Zara bent over and spoke to Brownie.

"I'm sorry if I scared you Brownie. Aunty Zara's a little tense right now." she apologized. Brownie nodded as if he forgave her, and then hugged her. I smiled affectionately at the cute scene before me.

A door nearby opened and my mother suddenly stepped out. "I...I thought I heard your voice Zara." she said. She was always more accepting towards my relationship with Zara than Zara's parents.

"Hi ma'am. Yeah it's me." Zara replied. "And uh, this is Brownie."

A small smile appeared on her lips. "Can Zara stay for the night mother?" I asked.

"Sure, just make yourself at home Zara. Good night you two." My mother returned to her room and went to sleep. I turned to Zara.

"I have a few extra pillows and blankets; I think I can make a nice bed for Brownie." I said.

Brownie seemed to like that idea; I showed him and Zara do I sleep?" she asked me.

"You," I pointed at her. "Can sleep there." I pointed at my bed.

A playful smile appeared on her. "But that's your bed."

"And for tonight, it's also your bed." Zara smiled and jumped on my bed.

"How is it?" I asked.

"Find out for yourself." Zara said patting a spot on my bed. I smiled at her and jumped onto my own bed. I leaned on my side and propped myself up with my elbow.

"You're so beautiful..." I said caressing her cheek earning a blush and a giggle from her.

"Y'know, if my parents were seeing this right now, their heads would explode." Zara said laughing a little.

I knew that more than anyone. "Of course. But I wonder how they'll react to...this!"

I quickly planted a kiss on her forehead. "Or this!" One between her eyes. "Or this!" Another where her nose was. Zara was laughing the whole time. "Or this! Or this! Or this!"

I continued kissing all over her face until I met my favorite part, her nice soft lips. As soon as ours met, I felt like never leaving, a feeling I always experience when I kiss Zara. She felt the same way which was great for both of us.

I don't care what others may say. I love this girl with every fiber of my being. I have been since the day I first met her, and if you don't believe me, that's your problem.

Reluctantly, I ended our lip-locked state and pressed my forehead against her. "Everything will be alright Zara. I assure you. I won't stop until your parents are free."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "Thanks Slick. That really means a lot to me."

I held her hand. "We leave tomorrow at night. My mother won't be too pleased about my leaving though..." I said sadly.

"Slick." Zara said softly dropping her smile. "You don't have to do this just for me."

"But I want to Zara; I'd do anything for you." I held her hand. "Anything and everything for you...Because I love you Zara."

"I love you too Slick." she said and we shared another kiss. "We better get some sleep since tomorrow's a big day."

"I agree." I said and I laid down beside her and put my arms around her. "Good night my love."

"Good night Slick." Zara said. She kissed me one last time and we both slept.


	42. Chapter 42

CHAPTER 42  
**ZARA'S POV**

"Slick, please be careful." Linda said holding Brownie close to her chest. It was early in the evening, and we were about to leave to save my parents.

Slick held his mom's hands. "I will mother. You just stay safe; I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Aunty..." Brownie said walking up to me. I smile and patted his head.

"Aunty's gotta go for a while Brownie. I'll be back before you know it." I told him. Brownie gave me a hug which I returned. He let go and went back to Linda. With a big breath, Slick and I turned around and left.

"They'll be fine Zara; you just worry about your parents." Slick said putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, you're right Slick. C'mon, we gotta hurry before it's too late."

What happened next was a really LONG walk all the way to Crimson City. Slick and I rested hundreds of times which was pretty hard since rebels were still running around. Slick and I were only able to rest for a few minutes before we had to start going again.

"There's got...to be a...faster way to...Crimson City..." I was totally exhausted when we stopped for the...I lost count after the 50th time.

"If only the Teleport stations would work...This would be so much easier..." Slick panted. "But we're almost there Zara...Just a little more..."

I forced myself to keep walking; I told myself that this was for my mom and dad and for them to be OK when we find them. My legs were telling me that they would explode, but my mind told them to shut up and keep walking.

We did make it to Crimson City after what was like weeks of walking. "You know where the prison is right Slick?" I asked.

"Yes I do Zara. Let's take a break first."

"Good idea."

We found a deserted cafe and his inside. Slick closed the torn curtains so that we won't be seen but he stopped suddenly.

"What is it Slick?" I quickly stood up.

"Is that...Is that Flare?" he asked.

Shocked, I ran over to the window and looked outside. Running down the street with some Murkrow was Flare who looked like he was in a hurry. Next this I knew, I ran outside, and Slick followed me.

"Flare!" Slick shouted; that got his attention and he ran towards us.

"Zara! Slick!" Flare said happily. "You don't know how glad I am to see you both ali-"

Before he could finish, I swung my fist and punched him right in the jaw; he was knocked away from me. The Murkrow went over to check on him; I growled and took a step, but Slick held me back.

"Zara, what're you-"

"I can't believe you!" I screamed at Flare. I was so angry, I was shaking. "I thought you were are friend! We trusted you!" I tried breaking free, but Slick held me tighter. "Was it a lie huh! Was our friendship real! Are your feeling for Shana real! Is your name even Flare! Answer me!"

I really shouldn't've been shouting 'cause rebels might hear me...Oh wait, one's just found me. Flare rubbed his jaw ( I hoped it hurt a lot) as the Murkrow helped him up. Still super angry, I saw Flare walk towards me.

"Zara...Slick...you two are the greatest friends a guy can ask for." he began. "Yes, I am a rebel, and yeah, I did lie about stuff...but our friendship wasn't a lie. I really...really like spending time with you guys; you're the first friends I've ever had."

I was still really mad, but I let him keep talking. "And I love Shana. Just as much as you love each other. I get it that you're both really mad at me-I'd be mad at me too- but I promise you I'll make everything right."

"Where's Shana? why isn't she with you?" Slick asked.

Flare stopped a bit and bit his lip. "I...I left her at her dad's old house; they should still be there. I left...because it's my fault all of this happened, so it's my responsibility to end it all. What about you two?"

"We're going to rescue Zara's parents." Slick answered. "They're at the city's prison."

Flare sighed. "Well, when you're done, get back to Shana. Can you tell her that...that I love her."

Slick paused a bit. "Tell her yourself Flare. However, when all this ends, all of us will have a nice little chat about certain issues."

"I understand." Flare nodded. "Well...good luck you two. And Good-bye."

Flare took off along another street; that Murkrow following him. "He does seem to show remorse for his actions." Slick said.

"Let's just go get my parents." I said breaking away from Slick. Being angry at Flare made me forget I was tired, or kinda. Shutting my mouth Slick and I continued our mission.

A few hundred tiring minutes later, we found the prison, but there were rebels guarding it. Hiding behind a dumpster, Slick asked: "How do we get in?"

I remembered something. "Uncle Shade was able to get in once." I said.

"How'd he do it?"

"Uh..." I tried to remember. "He climbed a tree and jumped over the wall, but I don't see any trees anymore." I looked around and saw no trees around the prison. Slick looked at the walls and looked like he had an idea.

"Could we skate up there Zara?"

"Huh?"

Slick pointed at the wall. "We could use one of your ice ramps to launch ourselves over the wall."

"But they'll notice an ice ramp sticking out of the wall." I said.

"Not if we jump from on top of a building." Slick pointed at a building behind the prison's main entrance. It was a little higher than the wall, but even if I made a small ramp, as long as we skated fast enough, we would make it over the wall.

I kissed Slick's cheek and said: "You're so smart." and we went to the building he pointed at.

* * *

"Ready Slick?" I asked. We were on top of the building; a small ice ramp was along the ledge.

"As I'll ever be." he answered while looking at the ramp "We go on the count of three." I nodded.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three!"

We ran forward and skated on the ice when we reached it. We sped up until we neared the ramp. Next thing I knew, we Slick and I were in the air moving forward. We went right over the wall with no one noticing us.

Slick landed first on the other side of the wall. He stuck out his arms and caught me bridal style. We smiled at each other, and I said: "Y'know, my parents could be looking out the window right now."

"Good point." Slick said putting me down but not before giving me a kiss. We ran along the wall and found a back entrance. Slick opened the door, and we ended up in a broom closet.

"We need to know what floor my parents are." I said.

"And the keys. I just might have another idea Zara." Slick said, and he whispered into my ear.

A few minutes later, Slick and I walked out of the closet. We found some rope inside the closet, and Slick had my hands tied behind my back I was ahead of him while he held my hands tightly. We walked towards the entrance where a Bronzong rebel was.

"Hey, guess who I caught." Slick said in a rough voice.

The Bronzong looked at us. "Haven't seen you here before." he said.

I hoped Slick could pull this off. "Ah, yes. I was just recently assigned here. Anyway, I've caught this girl Zara."

"Let me go!" I pretended to say angrily. To add effect, I stomped on Slick's foot, and he actually got hurt.

"Zara? Daughter of Slice and Chi?" The Bronzong sounded interested.

"Where'd you put my mom and dad?" I asked angrily.

He laughed in a way that made me want to punch him; good thing my hands were tied. "They're right here on the top floor. They'll be happy their kid's with them when they get executed. Alright, here's the key."

He handed Slick a key, and we went upstairs. "Sorry 'bout your foot Slick." I said.

"It's fine. What's important is that we have the key." Slick answered.

There were no guards on the first few floors, but on the top one where my parents were, there was a huge Salamence standing in front of a cell at the end of a corridor. I knew that that's where my parents were, and Slick knew it too.

"Hey you! The Salamence!" Slick shouted.

He heard us and walked towards us. We walked closer to him. "What?"

Slick jerked his head at the cell. "That cell you're guarding, is that Slice and Chi's?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Thanks." I said, and I gave him a face full of Ice Beam which knocked him into the wall. He slid down groaning in pain.

Slick untied my hands, and we raced to the cell. My mom and dad were right there looking confused at what just happened to the Salamence. They both stood up and moved towards us.

"Mom! Dad!" I said happily.

"Zara! Thank goodness you're-" My mom then saw Slick. "What is he doing here?"

"Saving you guys." Slick said. He put the key into the lock which opened the door. When it did open, my mom and dad ran and hugged me. I hugged them back and felt like crying.

"We didn't know what was happening to you!" my dad said. "Where the heck were you?"

"I stayed at-" But Slick covered my mouth so I couldn't finish. When I looked at him, he told me without words that it would be bad if they knew I slept at his house. Even worse if they knew I slept in the same bed with him.

"I really hate to disrupt your happy family reunion, but we have to get out of here now." he said.

Slick uncovered my mouth. "Oh yeah, Uncle Shade's in his old house here in Crimson City."

"We must get to him quickly." my mom said.

They left the cell, and the Salamence started to get up. He saw us, but my mom gave him a kick to the jaw that knocked him out cold. Then, we started running down the stairs taking out every rebels we saw.

"Hey, thanks for the key!" Slick yelled to the Bronzong as we passed. He just looked at us right before my dad's Ice Beam knocked him aside. We reached the front yard of the prison, but we found fifty rebels blocking us.

"Just like last time huh Chi?" my dad asked my mom.

Two rebels, a Lucario and Togekiss, shot Aura Sphere which knocked by mom and dad back. Before I could help them, a Sandslash ran at me. I tried hitting it him with Ice Beam, but he dodged. Before I knew it, he was right in front of me. He claw went for my neck.

It didn't. Slick suddenly gave a loud cry I'd never heard before, and it made the Sandslash go back. "Was that Roar?"

"Yes. Yes it was." Slick said. The rebels charged at us. "And here's another move you didn't know I had."

Slick looked at the rebels, pointed up and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a huge wave showed up between us and the rebels- Surf. The wave crashed right into the rebels and knocked them back, but they weren't out yet.

"Zara, freeze them!" Slick shouted. When I saw their wet bodies, I got why. I shot Ice Beam right when they were trying to get up. My result? Fifty rebels completely frozen.

I was completely shocked that we did this; FIFTY REBELS! Slick was more calm though. "We're wasting time; we have to move fast to get to Shade."

I nodded and Slick raced ahead. My parents got up and walked near me; the three of us watched Slick as he walked calmly through the frozen rebels.

"Y'know, I think I like Slick a little more." my dad said. I looked at him hopeful, but he held up his hand and put two of his fingers together. "But just a little bit."

I smiled and shrugged. "Well...it's a start. C'mon, Uncle Shade, Aunt Shine and Shana need us."

And just like that, the three of us ran past the frozen rebels and joined up with Slick. Together, we followed my parents until we reached this house. My dad knocked on the door, and after a few seconds, Aunt Shine opened it.

"Slice! Chi! Shade, come here quick!" she cried out. Uncle Shade finally met up with us.

"Hey dude. How ya doin'?" my dad asked.

"You're OK!" Uncle Shade said hugging my parents. "Get in quick before anyone sees us."

The four of us went into the house and sat on the living room sofa. I looked around and said: "Hey, where's Shana?"

My Aunt Shine bit her lip. "Upstairs, She's...not too happy right now."

At that moment, Shana appeared near the stairs looking like she'd just cried her heart out. She saw us. "Zara! Slick!"

Slick and I stood up as she hugged us. "There there. Everything's going to be fine." Slick said rubbing her back.

She looked at us and looked ready to cry again. "Guys...Flare...He's..."

"He's alright. We saw him just a while ago." I told her.

"You did? Where's he going?" Shana asked.

"He said that he was going to fix his mistake." Slick answered. "He's most likely on his way to your house to confront Dart."

Shana sniffed and whispered: "I knew it."

"With you two with us now, saving the others won't be a problem." Shade said to my mom and dad.

"We're going with you guys." I said.

"No Zara. It's just too dangerous for kids like you." my Uncle Shade said.

"Kids? Zara and I just broke these two out." Slick said pointing at my parents. "I assure you; we can handle anything."

"They have proven themselves when they rescued us." my mom said. "Very well; Zara, you may accompany us."

"Then I'm accompanying you guys too." Slick said; my parents glared at him.

"I...I'm going too." Shana said. "I'm not just gonna stay here and let the ones I care for get hurt."

My Aunt Shine looked at my Uncle Shade who sighed. "Alright but you all have to be careful."

"Good. So where to Shade?" my dad asked.

He brought out a map of the nation with several circles on it. He pointed at one here in Crimson City. "Everyone's being held captive at these locations. Our first stop would have to be here." He pointed at a circle on the map.

"Let's go then. I wanna kick more rebel butt." my dad said punching his fist.

With that, we all left the house and started walking. There were a lot of us, so it was hard whenever we had to hide from rebels. We were able to do it and, soon, we found the building where one of my uncles were being kept.

"We better hurry." my Aunt Shine said. We all nodded and started sneaking towards the building.

Suddenly, Shana started shuddering. "Shana, what's wrong?" I asked. All of us stopped and looked at her.

Shana paused and gulped. "When someone goes out of their copy's range, the copy vanishes." she said shakily.

My eyes widened in shock. "Shana!" my Uncle Shade cried out.

Shana looked at her parents. "Mom...dad...I'm sorry..."

And then she just vanished into thin air. "Shana!" my Aunt Shine yelled out.

"She was just a copy..." my mom said. "So where's the real Shana?"

It was Slick who answered, and he was serious. He turned to Shana's tense parents and said:

"You know where she is. Where else would she be?"

* * *

And that's the end of Zara and Slick's mini-arc. The spotlight will be back on Flare next week.


	43. Chapter 43

CHAPTER 43  
**FLARE'S POV**

"Ahh, damn Zara punches hard." I said rubbing my still painful jaw.

"Yes, she did seem angry, but we've more important things to deal with Flare." Salem told me.

"Yeah, you're right Salem."

After several hours, we finally left Crimson City and entered Central City. The destruction here was just as bad as the one in Crimson City; so many buildings were knocked down, and there were countless bodies scattered around.

"Focus Flare; we can't afford to get side tracked." Salem told me when I stopped at the sight of a dead Arcanine. I shook my head and regained my focus before we continued.

It was hard to. The sight of this much destruction and death was just horrible especially since it was all my fault. "This's all because of me Salem; I'm why the city was destroyed, I'm why all these Pokemon were killed."

Salem looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe it is your fault, and maybe it's not. Since we couldn't stop the cause of all this, we have to go for the mastermind behind all of it."

"Dart." I said with a nod.

"Good. Glad to hear that you've got your goal set."

Eventually, we reached Shade's old house, and it was just a complete wreck. The walls were covered in grime, every window was shattered, the door was just hanging on one hinge and the upped right corner was blown to smithereens. Rebels were walking around patrolling it, so we hid behind a nearby building.

"It's not a pretty sight, but Dart's in there. Let's go Salem." I said stepping forward.

"Wait Flare." Salem said blocking my way with his wing. "Look at the house; don't you seen anything strange?"

I stared at the house, but nothing seemed odd. But when I shifted my head, I saw it. There seemed to be a large, almost transparent dome around the house.

"It's just what I feared." Salem said. "There's a Psychic barrier around the house; nothing, not even Ghost types, can enter. Digging under it isn't an option either."

"If it's a Psychic barrier, then someone must be keeping it up. We knock him out, the barrier fades." I said.

"It's worse; judging by the strength of that barrier, I'd said that there are at least four Psychic types holding it up."

"Four?" I said shocked. "How're we supposed to find them?"

Just then, a Swampert rebel came into view. "They still think I'm part of them; maybe I can just ask."

I nodded and stayed hidden. Salem meanwhile flew off towards the Swampert. Salem opened his mouth to speak, but when the Swampert saw him, he knocked him aside with Hydro Pump.

"Salem!" I shouted running to his side. I helped him up and looked at the Swampert.

"They know...they know I'm a traitor!" Salem cried out.

"But how" I asked as we dodged another Hydro Pump.

"Pyro and Cynder must have told them." Salem said. At that moment, the Swampert shot a Hydro Pump straight up. "Oh no...I think he's signaled the other rebels!"

"Take him out quick!" I shouted. Salem flew upwards before coming down with Aerial Ace. The Swamper fired Ice Beam at him, so I countered with Flamethrower. While our attacks canceled each other out, Salem flew in closer; at the last second, the Swampert used Hammer Arm on Salem knocking him back.

I fired Extrasensory and knocked his back a few feet. He was able to recover and fire a Hydro Pump. I used Quick Attack to dodge and ran towards him. I rammed his chest, but he grabbed my face and smashed it into the ground. He then gave me a solid kick which sent me flying towards where Salem was.

"Damn, he's too strong..." I said getting up. "We need a plan Salem."

However, we didn't need to. I felt the ground shudder slightly and looked down. Something was tunneling beneath or feet towards the Swampert who didn't notice it. Whatever it was, it went between the Swampert's feet and shot upwards. I heard a blow made one the back of the neck of the Swampert who was knocked out. He fell forward, and, to my shock, there she was behind him.

"Sh...Shana...?"

I ran towards her and she did the same. Midway, we collided and tumbled around a bit. When we stopped, I was on my side and she buried her face him my chest.

"What the hell were you thinking Flare!" she cried out. She looked at me and I saw a few tears in her eyes. "Don't you know how worried I was?"

"Shana...what're you doing here?" I asked. "Your parents-"

"I made a copy of myself to go along with them while I snuck away. I'm moving out it it's range, and they'll find out about this." Shana explained.

I shook my head. "You shouldn't have done this Shana."

"Flare," She looked into my eyes and held my paw. "Flare, I love you, and no matter where you go or what you do, I'll be with you."

I couldn't believe this was happening, but I guess I couldn't do anything about it anyway. Besides, even if it was just a few hours, I missed Shana.

"I hate to interrupt, but we have something to do." Salem said. Shana and I got up.

"What's the plan Flare?" she asked.

"There's a Psychic barrier around you house. We need to take out the ones putting it up, but we don't know where they are." I explained.

"I figured it out actually." Salem said and we turned to him. "When I flew up, I saw several rebels run to a building and guard it. I think that's where the barrier's being supported."

"Then let's go then." Shana said. Together, the three of us ran towards the building. Five rebels were guarding it from the outside.

Suddenly, Shana shuddered. "The copy I sent to my parents just went out of range; they know I'm not with them." she said.

"Maybe your copies could lure those guards away Shana." Salem suggested.

"OK. I'll try it out." Shana used Double Team and made one copy of herself. The copy walked forward a bit , and the rebels spotted it. The pointed at it and charged; the copy turned and ran away in another direction.

"I can't keep them busy for too long." Shana said.

"Then we better hurry." I said, and we ran into the building. It was actually a gym where Pokemon could work out. "Now where?"

"I'd go for the top floor." Salem said. We ran up three flights of stairs and ended up in a wide open area with a few badminton courts. Directly across us were a Metagross, Alakazam, Grumpig and Slowking. Between us were about fifty rebels led by two Ninetales I instantly recognized.

"Pyro, Cynder, out of our way!" I shouted at them.

They just chuckled. "Sorry but we can't allow you to interfere. Get them!"

They stayed in place while the other rebels charged. Shana, Salem and I fired at them and took a few out, but more kept heading our way. Just when they were close enough, Salem covered the entire room with Haze, limiting my vision.

I couldn't see him nor Shana; I could barely see anything at all. I did feel something head my way and jumped sideways. I was nearly run over by a Golem using Rollout. I fired Extrasensory and hit him or at least, I thought I hit him since he didn't come back. I backed up a little and bumped into someone. I gasped and turned around quickly, but it was only Shana.

"I can barely see anything." she told me. "Look out!"

I turned sideways to see a Vaporeon come at me with Aqua Jet. Shana smacked him aside with Iron Tail before he could hit me. I saw a Swellow dive towards Shana and I blasted it away with Flamethrower. After that, Shana and I looked at each other and exchanged smiles. This is what we do; we look out for each other.

A Grovyle showed up but it was knocked out by a Dark Pulse that came from above. I looked up and saw Salem flying around firing Dark Pulse at different areas. The Haze started to fade away, and I saw Pyro and Cynder standing right where they were before the battle started. I gave a loud cry and charged at them.

Cynder spotted me first; her tails pointed outwards, and their tips were covered in blue flames. She shot Will-o-Wisp at me, but a Shadow Ball came from behind me and cancelled it out. Shana caught up with me and we fired out attacks which were canceled out by Pyro's and Cynder's.

"Flare!" I looked up and saw Salem flying over us. I looked back and saw a pile of unconscious rebels. Salem dove in with Night Slash; Pyro and Cynder jumped and countered with their own Iron Tails and knocked him back. Shana dove underground, and I charged in with Quick Attack. Pyro countered my attack with Flame Wheel. Meanwhile, Cynder fired her Will-o-Wisp into the hole Shana dug. I was knocked back, and there was an explosion coming from under the floor. Shana and I were thrown back just like Salem.

"Hmmp. You are pathetic. I'm so gad that you're not my real son." Cynder told me.

I coughed a little. "And you're both so cruel and heartless; I'm so glad you not my real parents." I said with a smirk.

The growled and leaped at me. I rolled sideways just before their Iron Tails (all nine of them) embedded themselves in the floor. They attacked again, and I tried dodging, but one tail made a deep cut on my cheek which started to bleed.

"Flare!" Shana screamed. She and Salem tried getting up, they were still weakened by the attacks.

Pyro and Cynder kept trying to impale me with their Iron Tails. "You can't dodge forever Flare; this building will be your grave!" Pyro shouted as the attacks continued. Finally, they did something different; they out their tails together and made two huge ones ready to impale me. I did my best to dodge, and I barely did. I flew backwards with two wounds at my sides.

"Flare!"

I was on my back. I tired getting up, but I saw two Iron Tails pointed at my heart. "I'll admit it; you are talented Flare." Cynder said evilly. "But this is where you meet your end. Now die!"

"FLARE!"

I closed my eyes and hoped it would be painless.

It was. Dying didn't hurt at all. Instead, I felt my own blood fall on my chest. I kept whispering: "I love you Shana." over and over again wanting it to be my last words. When I slowly opened my eyes, I couldn't believe what was before me.

The blood dripping on my chest wasn't mine; it belonged to Salem who was right between me and Pyro and Cynder. He had two tails belonging to the latter driven into his lungs and stuck out of his back.

"Salem!" I shouted.

Salem didn't reply; instead, his wings turned dark purple like he was about to use Night Slash. Pyro and Cynder were still stunned with shock whi Salem spoke to them.

"Burn my name into your memory..." he said weakly. "Remember me...as the one who took your lives..."

"I AM SALEEEEEEEEEEM!"

While he screamed, he raised his wings and stabbed Pyro and Cynder right where their hearts were. Their eyes widened, and their blood coated Salem's wings. With a grunt, Salem pulled his wings out of their chests; the three of them fell backwards and started to bleed.

"Salem!" I shouted going to his side. Shana was able to recover and run to his side as well. Nearby, Pyro and Cynder's breathing was starting to slow down; it would stop after a few more seconds.

Salem coughed up blood and looked at me. "Flare..." he said weakly.

I still couldn't believe this was happening. Salem's just too strong; he couldn't die! "Salem...wh...why..."

"I...I want to thank you Flare..." he told me as he laid there dying. "I'm...not afraid of death anymore...thanks to you...to the fact...that you'll remember me..."

"Salem, you can't die; wh-what about our rematch!" I cried out. "Don't you still want to try to beat me?"

Salem chuckled a bit. "I do...more than anything else...I guess I'll...fight you in the afterlife Flare..."

"S...Salem..."

Shana leaned closer to him, and he looked at her. "Salem...I want to thank you for saving Flare. It's not fair that you had to die right now, and I hope you're happy wherever you go." Shana gulped. "I'll never forget you Salem."

Salem looked at her with the biggest smile I've ever seen on him. His breathing was starting to slow down. "Flare...maybe...you were right...about us being friends...I hope...you don't mind...but...I'd like...to die as that...instead of your rival..."

"Salem..." I said. Shana held on to me.

His strength was almost gone. "It's my time...good bye...my friends..."

With that, Salem closed his eyes and sighed. His chest stopped moving, and I knew he was gone. "Salem...I promise I'll never forget you." I whispered to him.

I looked to the side and saw that Pyro and Cynder had already died. I remembered the four Psychic types who were holding up the barrier and looked at them. They were looking at me in fear.

"There's been enough death here." I told them. "Leave now, and I won't hurt you."

Without any hesitation, they all ran away. I looked at Shana, and she gave me a comforting hug. We found some sheets and used them to cover Pyro and Cynder. Then, we looked at Salem. "We should give him a proper burial." Shana told me.

I nodded, and, carrying Salem's body, left the building before the unconscious rebels could wake up. We found an empty lot next to the building and went there. Shana dug a hole, and I lowered Salem into it. I climbed out, and, with Shana, stared at him at the bottom of the pit.

"Good bye Salem." we said together, and we buried him under the soil. It took us a while, but we managed in the end. We were done, but I didn't want to leave yet. I found a large, thick wooden board nearby and brought it over. I used a weaker version of my Flamethrower to burn words onto it. When I was done, I placed it at the head of Salem's grave.

Shana read the words I wrote. "You sure Flare?"

I sighed and nodded. "It's all he would've wanted Shana." I replied. "C'mon, it's time to go."

Slowly, we turned around and walked away from Salem's grave. Like the letter I wrote to Shana, the words I wrote were burned into my mind, the only words Salem would've wanted on his grave.

HERE LIES SALEM

HE WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED


	44. Chapter 44

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAH! 100 REVIEWS! THANKS GUYS!

* * *

CHAPTER 44  
**SHANA'S POV**

"Doing alright Flare?" I asked worriedly as I put a paw on his back. I saw the partially healed wounds on his cheek and sides, but those weren't what I was asking about.

Flare cleared his throat before answering. "Y..yeah, I'm OK Shana."

I looked behind me and saw Salem's grave again. He really was brave for saving Flare. I wish I'd thanked him more. Anyway, Flare and I continued until we reached the back entrance of my house.

I shook my head. "I can't believe I'm sneaking into my own house."

"It's my house too y'know." Flare said. "I guess we're really doing this huh?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "Look Flare, if you ask me, if is some sort of point of no return. Once we go in, we don't leave until Dart's been defeated."

I had a strong feeling that I was right. Both of us could actually die here. "Shana, you-"

"I'm not leaving you Flare." I said already knowing what he was gonna say.

He looked like he knew she would say that. "Alright; let's do this Shana."

I nodded, and we took the plunge.

* * *

The back door was locked which wasn't much of a surprise. I blasted it open and Flare took out the Nidorino stationed behind it. We entered the house only to find more rebels inside.

We took out the group , but one rebel, a Mankey, was able escape yelling that there were intruders. "Great, he's going to spread the word out." I said frustratingly as he ran away.

"Doesn't really matter. They'll all find out eventually." Flare said. "What we need to do is find out where Dart is."

"My dad's office. It his seat of power. Maybe he's there." I suggested.

Flare thought about it. "It's our only lead, so I say we go for it."

We started running through the halls; rebels showed up left and right and tried to kill us. Flare and I were able to handle them, but if we kept this up, we would be too tired to take on Dart.

"There has too be a faster way to Dart without finding rebels." Flare said as we repelled another wave of rebels.

I had and idea and blasted a nearby wall apart revealing a hidden staircase. "This way Flare!" I shouted. He fired one last Flamethrower into the crowd of oncoming rebels before running up the stairs with me.

"Hello Flare. Nice to see you hear." a voice said. A Sableye came out of the side wall and fired Night Shade at Flare.

"Damn it. Jewel, where's Dart!" Flare shouted.

Jewel laughed. "Maybe if you beat me I'll tell you." Flare fired Flamethrower at her, but she dodged it and phased through the false wall at the top of the stairs.

Flare blasted the fake wall apart, and we ended up on the second floor. Jewel was there with ten rebels behind her. "We don't have time for you." I told her angrily.

"Funny, 'cause I've got plenty of time for you two!" Jewel shouted as she and the rebels charged. Flare growled angrily and stepped in front of me. Swinging his head around, he used Heat Wave which filled up the entire portion of the corridor Jewel and the rebels were in. He gave a loud cry and pushed his attack forward causing Jewel and the rebels to be pushed back several feet. Flare then shot Extrasensory at the floor and destroyed the path between Jewel and us.

"Tell your parents the rebels did that Shana; I'm in enough trouble with them already." Flare said before heading back to the stairs. I saw Jewel and the rebels groaning in pain, but they would be up eventually. I joined Flare and ran up the stairs only to be confronted by a Spiritomb.

"Move!" Flare shouted blasting him with Flamethrower. He collided with the false wall and smashed it apart. We ran up the stairs, but a loud buzzing sound stopped us. Looking back, I saw a Yanmega fly towards us. We ran into the next corridor before he could hit us.

The Spiritomb was starting to recover, so I hit him with Iron Tail to keep him down. Flare ducked a SonicBoom and took out the Yanmega with a Flamethrower to his face.

"Who were those?" I asked as we went back to the stairs.

"Cendou and Ente, rebels. They were part of Dart's old team back then." Flare explained. "We took out Jewel, Cendou and Ente which leaves only one last guy."

"He's most likely with Dart." I said.

"Let's hope so."

We continued up the stairs and only found ordinary rebels; maybe I was right about the last one with Dart. We went up stairs until we reached the floor where my dad's office was. Taking out the rebels that guarded the room. Flare and I paused before the door. This was it. Dart was behind these doors. Flare and I looked at each other and nodded. I got ready for the fight of my life. Flare burst the door open.

"Dart!"

"Sorry, not here!" a Probopass sitting in my dad's chair said before firing Flash Cannon at us. Flare and I countered with our own attacks causing a deadlock. Wanting to end this, I made two copies and made them Dig under the floor. They jumped up and attacked the Probopass who got distracted and stopped his attack. Flare's and mine were able to hit him and send him crashing into the wall.

He tried getting up, but Flare walked over and put his paw on his chest. "Peter, where's Dart?"

"Heh, why should I tell you?" Peter said with a sneer.

I walked over to Peter. "Let me try something." I whacked him in the head three times with Iron Tail, earning and "Ow!" every time. "Feel like talking now or d'you want me to give you a concussion."

"Alright alright, Dart's in the grand hall; he's turned it into his own throne room." Peter answered. Sensing that this wasn't a lie, I knocked him out anyway.

"The grand hall huh? That makes sense; this place is too small for him." Flare said.

"We better get there fast." I said, and we took off. Once again, we traveled through the house fighting off rebels except we were going down this time. They just seemed to keep showing up not matter how many we take out. If any interfere with our fight with Dart, we would have trouble.

There were more guards outside the grand hall's entrance; Flare and I took them out and paused before the door. Now, this was really it. "No more stops this time. Ready Shana?" Flare said to me.

I nodded and stared at the door. "Flare, behind these doors is the one Pokemon who wouldn't stop until everything's destroyed. He'll kill everyone unless we stop him. My mom and dad...Zara and Slick...all my uncles and aunts...everyone else in the nation...we're the only hope they have left."

"We're not just their hope Shana." Flare told me. "We're also the future's hope. It's depending on us to end Dart once and for all and create a bright future, a future where you can lead this nation in peace."

I stared into those eyes of his that I love so much. "I want something else in that future. I want you be with me; I want a future where we can love each other without anyone telling us not to. I'd honestly be content with just that."

Flare smiled and held my paw; I could feel the warmth coming from his own. "I'll protect you with my life." he said.

"And I'll stay by your side until the very end." I replied squeezing his paw tightly.

For a bright future when I can lead this nation the best way that I could and for a future I could spend every day with Flare, I will fight with everything I've got.

Together, we nodded at each other. Then, we busted the door open.


	45. Chapter 45

CHAPTER 45  
**FLARE'S POV **

"DART!"

The grand hall was just as dirty and grimy as the rest of the house. The biggest difference however was at the far end of the hall. Dart, looking very pleased with himself, was sitting on a throne carved from white wood to look like Pokemon bones. Or at least, I hoped it was wood.

When he spotted us, Dart just raised an eyebrow as if he was thinking we weren't a threat. Slowly, he stood up and took a few steps towards us. Shana and I remained where we were; we weren't gonna run away from this.

"Pfft. The rebel falling in love with the girl he was supposed to kill and the girl who fell in love with the rebel who wanted her whole family dead...what is it with you star-crossed lovers that pisses me off so much?" he asked annoyed.

"Star-crossed lovers?" Shana said. "Oh, you mean like my parents huh?"

Dart frowned at her. "Your damn family cost me my war. I was in a coma when your dad knocked me out, and when I woke up, the war was over. I missed so much killing that time, and it really pissed me off."

"So you decided to rebel against Shade and start a whole new war." I said.

"Yeah, and it's been going great!" Dart said cheerfully. "I haven't had this much fun in years!"

"Yeah well, sorry but Flare and I are killjoys here." Shana said.

"Tch, you guys can't take me!" Dart said confidently. "I can take my own sweet time killing you two."

He went into a battle stance. "Sorry Dart, but Shana and I aren't intending to die now." I said taking my own stance.

Shana nodded and took her own as well. "We're taking you down Dart, right here, right now! So you better be ready."

The three of us stared at each other for several tense seconds. Dart then opened his mouth and said: "Well then, it's slaughter time!"

With a loud cry, he unleashed the biggest Sandstorm I'd ever seen. Shana and I covered our eyes to prevent getting blinded by the sand grains. We turned to Dart who smirked before vanishing.

"Where'd he go!" Shana asked as we looked around. Our answer came when a Dragon Pulse came from behind and nearly hit us if we didn't dodge in time. We turned around and fired our attacks at Dart, but he was only a blur that vanished before our attacks could hit.

We fired our attacks all around and heard Dart outrun every single one of them. "It's his Sand Veil ability! We can't hit him easily in this sand storm!" I shouted.

Just then, a gust of the storm cut through us and damaged us- Sandstorm's continuous damage property something only Dart was immune to. "I'll try burrowing and see what I can do!" Shana said as she dug underground.

"Bad idea!" Dart shouted. He appeared out of no where and jumped up. I fired Flamethrower at him, but he dodged it and hit the ground with Earthquake. Since Shana was underground, the damage dealt to her was doubled. With a scream, she was launched out of the ground allowing Dart to hit her with Dragon Claw. She crashed into me, and we tumbled back several feet.

"Shana, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." she answered as she pulled herself off me. "I can't use Dig, so let me try something else."

She made five copies of herself, and together, we charged at Dart while firing our attacks. Because of his ability, he was able to dodge them with ease. Dart fired another Dragon Pulse which I countered with Extrasensory. While we were in a deadlock, Shana and her copies charged with Iron Tail ready.

Dart unfortunately saw this coming. Breaking the deadlock with me, he jumped to avoid my attack and came down with another Earthquake. All of Shana's copies were wiped out, and she and I took the full force of the attack. With the blinding speed of a Garchomp, Dart hit both of us with Dragon Claw and sent us reeling.

We recovered and fired Flamethrower and Shadow Ball; Dart dodged them and fired another Dragon Pulse which we barely dodged. Then the sandstorm damaged us again. "This sandstorm isn't permanent. When it's down, Dart won't be able to dodge our attacks so easily." Shana said.

I just nodded, and she surrounded us with copies of herself. Dart's Dragon Pulse came out again, and two copies took the attack and vanished. Shana replaced them just as another Dragon Pulse showed up. As two other copies took the attack, I tried firing in the direction it came from only to miss.

The sandstorm finally subsided, and we found Dart to our left. Shana, her copies and I fired our attacks at him, and he countered with another Dragon Pulse. An explosion ensued, and Dart dashed right through it ready to use Dragon Claw. Shana's copies ran forward and tried stopping him, but they were taken down. Dart continued heading towards us, so Shana and I used Quick Attack and Iron Tail respectively.

Unfortunately, we were overpowered and sent flying back. We had barely recovered when Dart knocked us back further with Dragon Pulse. We were getting pummeled, and Dart was still at full health.

"We need ideas!" I said out loud.

"I'll tell you when I think of one." Shana said back while firing another Shadow Ball. Dart smacked it away and used another Earthquake. Our bodies shook like crazy as the tremors shook the ground. I was able to recover and fire Extrasensory which he jumped over before launching another Dragon Pulse.

Thinking fast, I ran forward and spun on my back while using Flamethrower. Multiple flame arcs came out and cancelled out the Dragon Pulse. Dart, who clearly hadn't seen this kind of technique before, gasped and crossed his arms as several flame arcs hit him. Just then, Shana, who seemed to have used Dig, popped out in front of him with two copies and used a triple Iron Tail which pushed Dart back a few feet.

I stopped spinning and used Quick Attack on Dart's chest. He grabbed me after I hit him and threw me sideways. Recovering, I saw him dash towards Shana and fired Flamethrower to intercept him. He dodged it and was able to land a Dragon Claw on Shana wounding her side in the process.

"Shana!" I cried out. She landed on her feet and launched Shadow Ball. Dart smashed it with the back of his hand and deflected it in my direction. I used Quick Attack on the Shadow Ball and pushed it into Dart's chest. The force of it blew Dart back a few more feet.

"Alright, now you're really pissing me off!" Dart shouted. He gave a loud cry and prepared another Sandstorm. Before he could, I rammed his chest. Then I kicked off and landed a few feet away only to Quick Attack him again. I hit him a time and vaulted myself over him, landed and attacked him again. I did this several times noticing that I was making a star pattern.

"Hey Dart, maybe you could help me come up with a name for this technique." I said smiling as I kept hitting him. I really shouldn't be thinking up fancy names for attacks at a time like this, but we were kinda winning. "I wonder, how does "5 Point Quick Attack sound?"

I hit him one last time and pushed him back. "Yeah, I'll admit that's kinda cool." he said before charging claws bared. "I'm calling this one The Flare Killer!" His claw went for my neck.

"And I call this Copy Rush!" Shana yelled popping up with eight copies from the ground between me and Dart. She and her copies all used Iron Tail to knock Dart away from me. They didn't stop there; all of them used Shadow Ball which combined into a single massive one which exploded in Dart's face and sent him flying across the room.

"Did that do it?" Shana asked me.

Dart quickly recovered and dashed towards us. "I guess not!" I answered as we jumped away. Three of Shana's copies were taken out, and Dart went back and took out two more. He dashed towards me, so I fired a Heat Wave. He just crossed his arms and continued onwards until he slashed me painfully with his claws.

"Flare!" I heard Shana cry out. Landing, I could feel the wounds on my sides start bleed again. I looked up and saw Shana blasted away from me by Dart's Dragon Pulse. He lunged at her, and I used Quick Attack and hit his side knocking him away from her.

Dart growled angrily and fired Dragon Pulse which I countered with Flamethrower. Shana used this as a distraction to run up and try to Iron Tail Dart. He dodged the attack and tried stepping on Shana only to have a Shadow Ball hit his foot. Hopping around in pain, Shana hit him with another Shadow Ball and knocked him back.

He gave another loud growl and unleashed another Sandstorm. "Oh crap, not this again." I muttered. Dart seemed to have vanished from sight, at least until he dashed right past me and knocked me sideways. I heard Shana cry out in pain too meaning that she was also hit.

On the ground, I slowly crawled my way in the direction I heard her cry out; I could barely see with the sandstorm raging on. Weak and tired from the fight, I stretched my paw and ended up meeting Shana's. I pulled myself closer and was able find her through the storm. Together, we helped each other up.

"Still in this?" I asked her.

She nodded firmly with a small smile. "Yeah, I'm still with you Flare; if you're still fighting, then so am I."

I smiled back at her and faced forward. "First thing we need to do is wait out this sandstorm."

Just then, Dart's Dragon Pulse showed up, and we dodged it; the pain of the sandstorm hit us. "Wait a sec, Dart's just dashing around stopping at times to attack right?" Shana asked.

"Yeah." I replied.

Shana created a ten copies and made them dig underground. Dart's Dragon Pulse came out again forcing us to dodge. "C'mon, Dart, is that it? I thought the rebels' leader would be more accurate!" Shana taunted.

"What're you doing?" I asked her.

"Making him attack us." We dodged another Dragon Pulse and another and another. We did this for about five whole minutes after which, Shana's copies popped out of the ground in front of us and vanished.

"Alright Flare. Use the biggest Flamethrower you've got." she told me indicating the nearest hole. I nodded, inhaled deeply and let loose the most powerful Flamethrower I could.

Almost instantly, I could hear something shoot out of the sides of the hall, and I understood; every single copy must've made created a tunnel system to distribute my Flamethrower across the hall. Huge jets of flames erupted all around, blowing the Sandstorm away in the process. Looking upwards, I saw Dart get hit by one of the jets and get distracted.

"Now!" Shana yelled. I stopped the attack and rushed with her towards Dart. He spotted us and fired Dragon Pulse which we were able to dodge. He charged at us and swiped with Dragon Claw. Shana and I ducked and ended up behind him. We used Quick Attack and Iron Tail on his back. He spun around and fired a Dragon Pulse which exploded at the ground near our feet.

Shana and I were knocked into the air by that attack. I crash landed and looked up to see Dart fire a pretty big Dragon Pulse. I fired Extrasensory and Shana Shadow Ball to counter it. Our three attacks collided and stopped with neither one vanishing. Dart put an extra burst of strength and pushed our attacks back a bit. I didn't give up and neither did Shana; we took a step forward and increased the output of our attacks. Neither side gave up, and after several incredibly tense moments, the three attacked got deflected and rushed upwards.

The three of us looked up and saw the attacks get closer and closer to the ceiling. It finally did and created a massive explosion that shook the entire room. And to make everything worse, the ceiling collapsed sending a downpour of rubble towards us.

"Oh damn!" I shouted as the first few pieces of rubble fell near us. Shana got close to me as more and more poured down threatening to crush us. There were hundreds od pieces with different sized, and we could barely avoid all of them.

We looked forward and saw Dart cross his arms over his head as several pieces of the ceiling fell on him, burying him instantly. We turned our attention back to the ceiling parts raining down on us. Dust covered the area limiting our vision and making us choke slightly. A single chunk fell between us and forced us to jump away from each other. I landed and gasped as I found a huge cluster of rubble fall right on top of me; there was no way I would be able to dodge.

"FLARE!" All I saw was a flash of brown fur; I was suddenly tackled violently and knocked far away. I recovered and looked only to see my savior get buried under the a huge amount rubble that could've killed me. My heart nearly stopped.

"SHANAAAAAAAAA!"

I tried to run over to her, to pull her out of the rubble, but more pieces fell in front of me, halting my advance. I got down and covered my head and waited for the rubble to stop falling; no use getting Shana out if I got hit. After a few more seconds, rubble stopped falling. Quickly, I got up and headed for the very large pile that she was under.

"Shana!" I pulled away the first piece and didn't find her. I moved over another large piece, but she wasn't under it either. "Shana!" I cried out again. I continued to dig my way through the pile looking for her. "Shana!"

Moving a large chunk, I found her paw sticking out. I held it tightly, and she squeezed my paw indicating that she was alive. "Shana!" I removed the rubble surrounding her paw until I her head and the upper part of her body was sticking out. She looked really weak.

"Hang in there Shana; you're gonna be alright." I comforted.

She quickly shook her head. "F...Flare...look below me..." Confused, I saw her use her paws to dig away the rubble covering the lower half of her body. What I saw nearly made my heart stop again.

A large, three meter metal pole about an inch in diameter was sticking out of the lower part of her stomach. So much of Shana's blood was everywhere around it making me think it was deep inside her. My heart raced, and I couldn't think straight. All of a sudden, Shana coughed out a lot of blood.

"Shana!" I cried out fearfully. Shakily, she turned to me and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could however, a rumbling sound occurred. Looking forward, we saw Dart burst out of the pile he was under, and he was mad. He was actually breathing through his teeth as he gave us murderous glares. With tremendous speed, he rushed towards us.

"Flare...Raise...the pole up..." Shana said weakly. I looked at the other end of the pole and saw that it was pointed.

I looked back at her. "What if something happens to you?" I objected; Dart was getting closer.

"I don't care...just do it!" Shana replied through gritted teeth. My mind was still panicking to process everything from the fatal wound in Shana to Dart ready to kill us.

"He's heading this way...!"

"Shana, what if-"

"Do it please!"

"I don't know if I-"

"You two are dead!" Dart roared raising his claws ready to slash.

"Flare, do it now!"

In one swift motion, I raised the pole by a few feet. Dart was going to fast to turn and ended up doing exactly what Shana and I knew what would happen. The sharp end of the pole pierced his chest, burying itself deep within it. Dart's eyes widened in shock and started making a choking sound.

I saw Shana charge up a Shadow Ball and speak. "This...is...for...THE FUTURE!" Her Shadow Ball struck Dart's face and sent him flying off the pole and landing several feet away, a gaping hole where his heart is. His body twitched, and he continued to make gagging sound for several moments. Finally, he gave one final twitch and stopped moving. He was dead. I had done it...I had fixed my mistake...

No...there was something more important than that going on.

"It's over..." I whispered. I turned my attention back to the wound on Shana. I didn't know what to do; this was something beyond my capabilities. If nothing was done, then Shana...Shana would die...

I went over and hugged her head tightly. "Shana please...please don't leave me..." I whispered with tears in my eyes.

"F...Flare..." she said between breaths. "I need you to listen closely..."

I moved myself until I was looking at her face. "I want you...to pull this thing out of me..."

I hastily shook my head. "No Shana, it'll hurt too much and you'll just bleed to death."

"I want you..." she continued as if I said nothing. "To pull this thing our of me...then...I want you...to burn my wound...so that it'll seal..."

"No Shana, I can't hurt you like that!" I cried out.

She looked into my eyes and placed a paw on my cheek. "Believe me, whatever I'm gonna feel...it's nothing compared to what I felt when you left me...it's the only way Flare..."

"But Shana-"

"Pull it out Flare...no matter how hard...or how loud I scream...don't stop."

I was still unwilling to do it. "But...but what if I-"

"You won't...I trust you Flare..." Shana said.

I honestly didn't want to do this, but I had no alternative. I held her paw with my left one while my right one gripped the pole tightly. I looked into her eyes and said: "I'm sorry about this Shana. I'll start pulling at the count of three."

She nodded stiffly and braced herself for the pain that was going to come. "One...Two...Three!"

I suddenly wished I was deaf; it would've made everything a while lot simpler. As soon as I started pulling, Shana began screaming in a way I had never her scream before. It was just horrible, and the fact that I was the one doing this to her made it even worse. He claws dug into my paws, puncturing my skin and making more wounds.

At the horrible sound of her screaming, my whole body started to shudder violently. Every instinct told me to stop hurting her, but I didn't stop. I ended up screaming too to show her that she wasn't alone in her world of pain, that this was just as painful for her as it was to me.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity of pain, I pulled the pole completely out of her, but I wasn't done yet. Before she could bleed to death, I closed my eyes tightly and forced my face near her wound. I used a weaker version of my Flamethrower and started burning her skin.

The scent of burnt flesh make me sick, and to make things worse, Shana was still screaming in pain. Once again, I wanted to stop, but I had to do this. After several seconds, I ended my attack and slowly opened my eyes. What I saw was a large burn mark on Shana which stopped the bleeding.

"Flare..." Shana whispered before falling forward. Terrified, I grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her.

"Shana!" I cried out, but she didn't reply. I shook her again. "Shana!" Still no answer. I placed an ear on her chest and heard a very faint heartbeat. She was just unconscious, but I had to get help now.

I slung her onto my back, and I just realized how weak and tired I was; the battle really wore me out, and I could barely stand with Shana's weight on me. Nevertheless, I forced myself to take a step causing my entire body to ache. Gritting my teeth, i took another painful step and another and another.

"Hang in there Shana...I'll get you somewhere safe…no matter what…even...if it kills me..." I whispered.

Ten steps later, I felt a sharp pain in my leg causing me to fall down. I was really weak now and fighting just to stay conscious. I clenched my paws tightly and forced myself to stand again. Adjusting Shana a bit, I continued to slowly carry her to the doors.

Somehow, I managed to reach the doors. As soon as I left the room, I collapsed, my vision starting to get blurry. I then heard footsteps but was too weak to see whose they were. I also heard voices but I couldn't tell who their owners were. I honestly didn't care who it was as long as it was someone who could help Shana.

"F…Forget me…Please…save her…save her…save her…...please…" Were my last words before I blacked out.


	46. Chapter 46

CHAPTER 46  
**NO ONE'S POV**

Flare went through a very strange transition from a world of pain to a world with a tiny amount of comfort. He felt like he was floating around in a great black abyss almost similar to the one he was in when his Ghost type classmates used their powers on him.

_"I'm so happy to call you my equal."_

At that voice, Flare raised his head and looked around for its owner, but all he was was nothingness. Yet, he recognized the voice, the voice of someone he knew was dead- Salem.

_"When I first...saw you...I was so...so amazed by your strength...I just wanted to beat you...to get even stronger..."_

It really was Salem's voice, but why was he hearing it when he knew he was dead? No...he wasn't dead; he still lives as long as he is remembered.

_"Putting her protection in your hands was the wisest choice I've made."_

He recognized that voice too. Shade! He had said that before he discovered who he really was. Considering what Flare's done, is what Shade said still true?

_"No; it's alright. It's on me. Cheers, to good delicious shake. May it always be there when we need something good to drink."_

He knew that voice too- Slick. It was on the first day that they met and became friends, one of the first friends Flare ever had. Ever since meeting his friend,s his life had never been the same.

_ "Thanks for the match Flare; I really thought I had you there."_

Now it was Zara's voice saying what she said after their match. He remembered how she thought that he was an inexperienced skater who'd lose on a field of ice. Her ignorance became her downfall; Flare surprised her in the end and claimed victory.

Flare stared in wonder at the great abyss around him. He was hearing the voices of those who cared about him, the ones who treated him with kindness when his life knew nothing but misery. But there was one voice missing...

"Flare."

He was taken aback. Flare knew that voice anywhere. He turned around; far away in the middle of the abyss was the white shape of an Eevee.

_"I will never hate you Flare. I'll accept you no matter who you are."_

Without hesitated, Flare headed in the direction of the Eevee while hearing her voice.

_"Flare...you're the reason I want to keep living..."_

_"I don't think you're insignificant at all Flare."_

_"You're important to me Flare because you're someone I can't imagine not being with me."_

_"I'm really glad to have someone like you Flare."_

He was getting closer and closer to her; he extended his paw in an attempt to reach her. The Eevee stuck out her paw; their paws met filling Flare heart with soothing warmth.

"Shana..." he whispered and everything became white.

* * *

Flare opened his eyes slowly. His head was spinning and throbbing and his whole body seemed to weigh twice its usual weight. His eyes traveled across his body and he saw two bandages on his sides. He raised his paw to his cheek and felt another bandage there.

He groaned loudly. Someone else was in the room, someone who rushed to Flare's side when he groaned. It was a Blissey with a few cuts and bruises. Looking closely, he recognized her.

"Nurse Glee?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, it's me Flare. Thank goodness you've woken up."

"What're you doing here? Where am I?" Flare asked.

"You're at home Flare." Nurse Glee explained. "The hospital was destroyed in the rebel attack; this building's being used as a makeshift one. And I'm here because they need every help they can get."

Rebel attack? With a jolt, Flare remembered everything that had happened from the initial attack to Salem's sacrifice to what he did to-

"Shana!" he cried out jumping off the bed and surprising Nurse Glee.

"Flare wait, you need to rest!" she insisted.

Flare grabbed the door handle and looked at her. "I'll rest when she's OK." he said before leaving the room.

The corridors were filled with wounded Pokemon, doctors, nurses and volunteers who gave food, water and other things to the wounded. Flare couldn't believe how many Pokemon were injured during the attack; he feared that there was more.

Shrugging it off, he ran down the hall passing wounded Pokemon whose families were comforting them. Several rooms had their doors open showing him even more wounded being cared for inside. Running along, he passed by another room whose occupants were covered in sheets. Feeling sorry for the dead, Flare continued running.

We descended down the stairs and found more wounded Pokemon along the corridor; just how many where there! Was the whole house filled up? He ran across a corridor and turned left stopping at what he saw.

Near him was the door to Shana's room. Sitting across the corridor looking wounded and miserable were Shade, Shine, Zara, Slick and the rest of the guards. Shine was crying, her face buried in the chest of her husband who was stroking her back while fighting back his own tears. Zara and Slick stood up, slowly walked towards Flare and hugged him. Words need not be said. Flare didn't know what happened, but he knew he would find out sooner of later.

Everyone but Shine was looking at the door to Shana's room. Flare parted from his friends and sat down right in front of the door wishing that Shana was alive. He would give anything and everything up just for that to happen. He clenched his paws and fought back his own tears.

The wait was so agonizing that no one knew how long it took. Finally, the door opened and a Nuzleaf doctor exited the room. Everyone instantly turned to him, and Flare stood up. The Nuzleaf surveyed them for several seconds before sighing.

"She'll live." he said. "The pole missed all of her vital organs. There was some bleeding, but it's been taken care off."

Shine gave a sigh of relief. Shade hugged her, and the two started crying together. Zara and Slick hugged each other tightly; Slice and Chi were too relieved to notice. Flare just stared at the doctor; joy filled him up so much that he felt like he was going to burst.

Shana was going to live.

"It could've been worse." the doctor said to Flare. Everyone stopped to listen. "She told me what you did. If you hadn't burned and cauterized her wound, she would've bled to death. You save her life Flare."

Flare couldn't believe what he was hearing, but the doctor had more in store for him. "She'd like to see you first. Alone."

Flare looked over at Shade and Shine who nodded. Zara and Slick looked at him and gave a thumbs up. Flare took a deep breath and entered the room.

Shana was lying on her bed, her eyes half open. At the sound of the door opening, she turned in its direction and smiled at the sight of Flare. He smiled and made his way over to the bed. He picked up her paw and held it to his cheek filling him with the same warmth he felt a while ago.

"Flare...you're alright." Shana said slowly.

Flare put her paw down but didn't let go. "And so are you Shana. How're you feeling?"

"I'm...I'm fine. I can't do anything strenuous for a while, but I'm fine." she replied.

Flare smiled, but then his eyes traveled to Shana's lower belly where an ugly burn mark was. Gently, he moved his paw over it. Shana placed her paw over his.

"You saved me." she told him.

But then, Flare remembered what happened that time. "You saved me first Shana. You pushed me out of the way." he said guiltily. "I should be the one who got impaled; I should be the one who should nearly die."

"Flare, I wanted to save you. If there's anyone to blame for this, it's me." Shana said.

Flare took his eyes off the burn and looked into Shana's eyes. "Why Shana?"

She sighed and paused a bit before answering. "The only reason Salem died was because he was able to recover faster. If I'd recovered faster, it would've been me sacrificing myself to save you."

Flare couldn't believe what she just said. "Shana..."

She spoke before he did. "I followed you even when you told me not to. Flare, I don't care where you go or what you do because I'll be right there to help you get through it. I want to stick by you through whatever life throws at us. And even though Dart's gone...I'll still do the same."

"But Shana." Flare said squeezing her paw. "You'd do that even at the cost of your life? Don' you know how that makes me feel?"

Shana sighed. "I know Flare; I'm sorry if I ever made you felt that way...But if you did the same thing I'd be upset too."

Flare sighed and shook his head. "I want to protect you Shana from anything that may harm you. Just knowing you're safe makes me happy. I don't want you endangering yourself for my sake."

"Flare," Her paw moved to his cheek. "I want this. I want to stick by you no matter what...And I'm going to make that vow on something right now."

Her tone had turned more serious causing Flare to stare at her. "Flare, there's a small brown box under my bed. Could you get it please?" Flare was puzzled but did it anyway. With the box on her bed, Shana reached under her pillow and retrieved a key. She inserted the key into the box, and turned. She opened the box and showed its contents to Flare.

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw what was in it. "Shana...where did you get this?"

"I found it long ago, but I already knew what it was then." she answered. "I've kept it with me all these years; we're the only ones who know about it. I kept it because I thought I'd need it some day."

Shana sighed before continuing. "I will swear upon it that I'll stay by your side no matter what." She raised her paw and moved it towards the box's contents.

Halfway there, Flare caught her paw and held it tightly. "Shana please, I love you, and I want to protect you from any harm; this could help me do that. Please, I want this just as much as you do."

Shana started into a pleading eyes and realized that they had come to a stand still. "Well...one of us has to do it." she said. Both of them thought for a while. An idea occurred to Flare.

"Both of us."

"What?"

"We could both swear. You and I can do it at the same time. It could work." he explained.

"I don't know Flare." Shana said, her eyes on the box. "I don't think anything like this has been attempted before. What if it doesn't work?"

Flare bit his lip. "It will work; trust me."

She did trust him more than anyone else. "OK Flare, we'll try and see if it works."

Flare smiled, took a deep breath and placed his paw over the box. "I, Flare, swear to protect you, Shana, to the best of my ability. Your safety and happiness are assured in my paws. I will love you and protect you for the rest of my life."

Shana smiled and held Flare's paw. "I, Shana, promise to be with you, Flare, no matter what happens. I will make sure that no matter what you do or how dangerous it may be, I will be right by your side. I will love you and stay by you for the rest of my life."

The time had come to test what they were about to do. They held each others paws tightly and looked at each other.

"Ready Shana?" Flare asked.

She nodded. "On the count of three...One...Two..."

...

...

...

"...Three..."

Together, they lowered their paws into the box.

A brilliant light surged forth from the box illuminating the entire room. But that was nothing compared to the light that enveloped Flare's and Shana's bodies. Both of them watched the light spread all over their bodies covering them with warmth. Then, they felt change. Flare felt himself grow taller; his tails split into more, and the fur on top of his head grow longer. Shana also felt herself grow taller; she felt her tail become larger and more bushy, and a tuft of fur grew on top of her head.

After several moments, it ended. The light faded, and the box fell of the bed, it's contents used up. The Vulpix and Eevee that had sat on the bed previously were gone, replaced by a magnificent Ninetales and a majestic Flareon.

Flare ans Shana looked down and examined their new bodies in amazement before turning to each other. Under her new crimson fur, Shana's burn was almost invisible. Flare, now a Ninetales, smiled and said: "You're still so beautiful."

Shana smiled and stuck out her paw and began to sing in the same loving way she always did.

_And I don't know how it gets better than this_  
_You take my hand and drag me headfirst_  
_Fearless_  
_And I don't know why but with you I'd dance_  
_In a storm in my best dress_  
_Fearless_

Flare did take her hand and (finally) pressed his lips to hers. There were no more obstructions to this kiss or their love. They were now free to love each other as much as they wanted. They both knew that it would be tough, but they knew that as long as their paws were in each others and their lips on the others, they would make it through everything.

* * *

The door to Shana's room opened, and Flare's voice came from it. "Guys, Shana would like to see all of you now." It was his voice; he didn't leave the room.

_So baby drive slow till we run out of road_  
_In this one-horse town, I wanna stay right here._

Shade, Shine and everyone else stood up, and Flare hastily rushed back into the room. Shine wiped away the last of her tears and told Shade that she was ready; they would be the first ones who entered. Together, they opened the door and entered Shana's room.

"Shana, how're you-" Shade began, but he stopped at the sight of a Ninetales and a Flareon sitting on the bed, their paws in each others. Everyone else saw it and look at the couple in surprise; Zara gave a small gasp while Slick stared at them in awe.

"This was our choice dad." Shana said to her shocked parents.

_In this passenger seat_  
_You put your eyes on me_  
_In this moment now_  
_Capture it, remember it_

_Cause I don't know how it gets better than this_  
_You take my hand and drag me headfirst_  
_Fearless_  
_And I don't know why but with you I'd dance_  
_In a storm in my best dress_  
_Fearless_

Much time had passed allowing the Shana and the Nation of the Twin Fangs to recover from the rebel attack. Houses were being rebuilt, the wounded were still treated and the dead were being mourned. All in all, the nation was slowly rising from the ashes towards a brighter future.

Shade's office had been repaired after Flare and Shana's brief battle with Peter. Now, Shade was sitting at his desk going over some papers. Flare was directly across him looking nervously at Shade. To the side, Shine and Shana sat there, the latter watching Flare worriedly.

Shade sighed shook his head a few times and looked at Flare. "Flare, Flare, Flare, I honestly don't know where to begin with you."he said disappointingly. "Participation in rebel activities. Giving rebels access to crucial information. Lying about personal information. Endangering the lives of me and more importantly my family and causing the Nation of the Twin Fangs to be ruled by a bloodthirsty war lord. D'you know what I think Flare?"

Flare gulped and looked downwards as he awaited his judgment. Shana continued to watch him worriedly, her paws trembling at what her dad might do to him.

_Well you stood there with me in the doorway_  
_My hands shake, I'm not usually this way but_

Shade sighed and seemed to calm down as he looked at Flare. "I think I'd be the biggest idiot in history if I said you didn't deserve my daughter."

Shocked, Flare looked up at Shade who gave a small smile. "Shana's an amazing girl Flare. I know you'll be able to take care of her."

Overjoyed, Flare turned to Shana who looked at her mom. Shine nodded and, while Shade walked to her side. Shana rushed towards her beloved Flare. He caught her with open arms and pulled her into another kiss.

_You pull me in and I'm a little more brave  
It's a first kiss, it's flawless, really something  
It's fearless_

"I love you..." Shana said parting a bit from him.

"I love you too..." Flare replied before pulling her into another kiss. They had never been this happy before in their entire lives.

Shade opened a drawer at his desk. "I've got something for you two." The two of them parted slightly and looked. Shade took out a large box and from it came two gold medals.

"I'm giving both of you these medals as a symbol of what you did for the nation. Shana, Flare, you two are heroes, and the nation will never forgetthe courage you two showed." Shade said happily.

They didn't say anything out of joy. Together, they took the medals from the box and pinned them on each other. They smiled at each other before hugging again.

"And Shana, one more thing."Shine said.

Shana parted from Flare but kept her arms around him. "Yeah, what is it mom?"

Shine's face suddenly became serious. "You're grounded for leaving your dad and I."

"Oh..." Shana said just realizing how much she made her parents worry when she left. I guess even her bravery wouldn't escape punishment. "I understand; I'd ground me too."

"Yeah well, you're grounded starting tomorrow." Shade added. "You can do whatever you want for the rest of the day."

Shana and Flare interpreted that as "You two can spend the rest of the day together." The two of them looked at each other and exchanged loving smiles. Together, they raced out of the room with an entire day they could spend with each other.

* * *

The song above was Fearless by Taylor Swift. There's still one more chapter so hang on 'till then.

By the way, I've been foreshadowing Shana's evolution since the start of the story. Notice how I made sure they didn't kiss until after they evolved? I had to do that because Shana would evolve as soon as she and Flare kiss. The latter's name kinda foreshadows her evolution into a "Flare"-eon.


	47. Chapter 47

Hey everyone, this is the last chapter of this fic. I want to thank all of you who loved and supported this series which I think is my best so far. It made me want to make the next stories I make just as great as this one. After this, I'm going to try something new and write non-anime stories. If any of you guys are interested, just check my profile.

Anyway, thank you, all of you, for everything.

* * *

CHAPTER 47  
**NO ONE'S POV**

After Shade and Shine saw the copy of Shana vanish, they immediately suspected that she was with Flare. When Slice and Chi asked what they should do. Shade and Shine left the group and headed towards their home in Central City, to where their daughter was.

Fighting off with a few rebels, they arrived and found their house destroyed. The sight of many unconscious rebels gave them hope that Shana was still alive, but they still wanted to find her. They had just passed the door to the grand hall when it burst open.

Together, they saw Flare stagger out carrying an unconscious Shana on his back. Without hesitation, they ran towards him and heard him beg to save Shana, to leave him alone so she could live. They looked into the destroyed grand hall, saw Dart lying dead on the floor, and realized what the two of them just did. Ignoring Flare's request, they carried him and Shana to safety.

Meanwhile, Slice, Chi, Zara and Slick went around rescuing their imprisoned friends and their families. Fortunately, it was easier than they thought. As soon as word got out that Dart was killed, the rebels freaked out which made it easier to defeat. Some resisted while others ran away and went into hiding.

Everyone was rescued and met up with Shade and Shine who decided to turn their home into a makeshift hospital. Getting as much help as they could, they brought injured Pokemon from all over the city to be treated.

While the nation recovered, Zara and Slick returned to the latter's home where Linda and Brownie waited. Linda was more than glad to see her son alive and well. Brownie on the other hand cried happily as he hugged Zara. They honestly didn't know what to do with him. At least, until Slick suggested that he stay with them. It was agreed on, but Zara thought of something else.

"Maybe you could just adopt him."

The room froze, and Zara felt a little embarrassed at what she had said. But then, Linda turned to the young Buneary, smiled and said: "Well Brownie, how about it? Would you like to be part of our family?"

Brownie seemed to have understood what she had meant. He pointed at her face and said: "Aunty?"

"No Brownie. Not Aunty but...mommy."

"Mommy..." Brownie mimicked. "Mommy..." He started to understand. "Mommy...Mommy!"

He ran up gave gave Linda a big hug while crying all the while. Linda hugged her new son tightly as a few tears came from her eyes. She then turned to Slick. "Well why don't you come here and hug you new brother, Slick?"

"Brother..." Slick whispered. Choking up, he ran forward and the three of them hugged each other and started crying. Zara too was in tears at the sight before her; it made her feel really good about herself. Not knowing how much to thank her, Linda turned to Zara and smiled, the depression that had plagued her since her husband's death gone.

* * *

Months later...

"Ugh, Zara, hurry up! You're not the only one who needs a shower!" a towel-carrying Shana shouted while pounding the bathroom door.

The sound of water coming out of the shower could be heard. "C'mon, Shana, you're a Fire-type; you shouldn't be this worked up about water." Zara replied.

Shana gave an annoyed sigh. The shower turned off, Zara, wrapped in a towel stepped out. "There, happy?" she said before walking off. Shana rolled her eyes before taking a bath.

Meanwhile, Flare was in his room finished with his own bath. He was now standing in front a mirror adjusting a black bow tie on his neck. Noticing some fur sticking up, he grabbed a brush and took care of it. A knock came from the door. "Come in." Flare said.

The door opened, and Shade stepped in. "Almost ready Flare?" he asked.

"Almost Shade, hang on." Flare finished brushing his fur and walked over to Shade. "There; all done. I do think I look pretty good."

"Yeah well, you should look good today." Shade replied. "After all, you only graduate from high school once."

Flare smiled a little at the word "graduate". Yes, he and the rest of them had finished high school despite the number of days school was called off due to the rebel attack. He was really graduating and had his sights on Central City University.

Not only that, the school had insisted that he, one of the two heroes of the nation, make a speech before the entire school. He didn't know how many sleepless nights passed, but he was able to finish it.

"Nervous about your speech?" Shade asked.

Flare gulped. "A bit, but I can manage." he replied.

Shade smiled. "Well that's good to hear. C'mon, we're almost leaving. The girls are done too." Shade said, and the two left the room.

They waited for a while at the front door until Shine, Slice and Chi arrived with the two girls. Zara was wearing a necklace, bracelets and anklets designed like snowflakes, but Flare's eyes were fixated on Shana. She was wearing a ruby and topaz studded tiara which seemed to sparkle like her eyes. She walked over to the speechless Flare and gave him a wink. Luckily, he didn't react as much as he did with Philia.

"Wow Shana, you look...amazing." he told her.

She smiled back at him. "Thanks. You're looking pretty good too."

"Aw c'mon, it's just a bow tie. " Flare said with a nervous laugh.

"Well you still look great no matter what you're wearing." Shana gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Slice walked over to the door. "Alright guys, we gotta go." He pushed the door open. "We'll need good seats so-"

He stopped at what was behind the door. Linda and Brownie were there waiting for them to arrive. Slick, wearing light brown fedora hat as well as a silver necklace with an S, was leaning against the wall arms crossed with a red rose in his teeth. Ignoring the look on Slice's and Chi's faces, he took the rose out of his mouth and threw it to Zara. She gave it a sniff, giggled and walked towards him and held his arm.

"Well I think we should be going now." Shine said before Slice or Chi could object. Quickly, the group left and headed for the school.

The parents and left the group and headed for the auditorium while the kids assembled in their rooms. Half an hour passed, and the ceremony started.

Music blared and the students entered the room and took their seats next to their families. Principal Marshall took the stage and began his speech congratulating the students on finishing another portion of life. He told them about the hardships they had to go through to reach where they were right now and told them that they had made him proud. His speech ended, and he called Flare to the stage.

Flare took a deep breath before standing up. Shade, patted his back and everyone else gave him an encouraging smile as he passed them. The room silent, Flare walked to the center aisle and went up the stairs to the stage. Principal Marshal stepped aside as Flare took the podium. He took another deep breath and began.

"My name is Flare...and I was a rebel..."

Silence ensued; it was like no one was even breathing. "I lost my parents to them when I was very young; I was so confused and clueless that I joined them just so they can spare me. It turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life."

"They were just ruthless..." Pain still coursed through Flare as he told his past. "I was put through training so harsh and brutal, it makes what Coach Aurora did to us look like a early morning jog." A few chuckles were heard including Coach Aurora's. "And that wasn't just it. I saw Pokemon get killed right before me the very week I first joined the rebels."

"The whole time I was there I thought about what would happen to me next. Was that going to be my whole life? Doing the work for some cruel monsters who don't know anything but causing pain? For a long time, it seemed that way."

"I missed so many things during my stay with the rebels; I missed my entire childhood because of them. I never played around in the snow like many other kids my age would during winter. I never knew the taste of good food given to me by those who loved me. I never scrapped my knee and run crying to my mom, and, she'd just put on a bandage and give it a kiss. I never experienced having free time to spend with my friends and loved ones. I never knew friendship, nor joy, nor love; only pain."

"One day changed my life forever. I was given a simple mission: kill this nation's rulers so that the rebels would take over."

"So I set off and asked for a job from Shade. They didn't know anything about me. I gave them lies to cover up my brutal past, and it worked. I was in and started bidding my time waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike."

"But time passed and something happened; I ended up bonding with them, with those I was told to kill. I was a stranger to them, but they still showed me kindness I'd never seen before. I got to know them more; I knew their lives, their fears, their hopes and their dreams."

"I was happy with them. I thought about spending the rest of my life like that until reality settled in. I had a mission to do, and I needed to do it quickly. There was one among them whose death I had to make happen the most."

Flare paused for about five seconds. "Her name is Shana, and I was told to kill her. I'd thought that it'd be easy, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to it. I had a lot of opportunities to, but I didn't. Why?...Because I fell in love with her."

"I promised never to kill her, but I remained a threat to her. I wanted to run away, to leave her and draw the rebels' attention to me. I told myself over and over that it had to be done, but I ended up putting it off until the last minute. I was selfish; I just wanted to be with her even if it meant endangering her."

"I did leave eventually, and it hurt me in a way I thought I would never get over. But I was caught and forced to give the rebels vital information. The lies I told were eventually found out, and I ended up being hated by those whom I betrayed."

"But Shana...she still believed in me until the very end. She loved me even though a lot of you might say she shouldn't. That was enough to keep me going; I was able to escape and befriended another rebel traitor named Salem. Together, we rescued Shana and her family and hid from the rebels."

"But one thought haunted me. The rebel takeover, the countless Pokemon that died, the lives torn apart, those were all my fault. The guilt I felt tore me up until I realized that I had to do something to fix everything I'd done. So I left Shana again, and it was just as painful as the first time."

"But Shana followed me saying that she'd do so until the very end. She wanted to be by my side even thought it would mean death for her. I didn't care if she was being brave or not; I just wanted her far away from anything dangerous. She did end up accompanying me which made me worried sick."

Shana shifted guiltily in her seat which Flare seemed to have noticed. "Yeah, that's right Shana. If I could, even I'd ground you for ditching your parents."

Flare's face was serious, but he suddenly smiled. "Ah what the heck, I missed you the few hours I was gone." That cheered her up slightly.

Flare went back to his speech. "But I suffered loss after that. Salem sacrificed himself to save me. When he finally died, I swore that I would never forget him nor his sacrifice."

"Shana and I continued on. Eventually, we came across Dart and fought him. It was just grueling; I couldn't remember fighting a battle like that before. He was tough, but Shana and I didn't give up. During the course of the battle, the ceiling collapsed, and Shana pushed me out of the way of a falling pile of rubble."

"I panicked; I tried digging her out, and when I found her, she showed me the pole sticking out of her lower stomach." Gasps of horror could be heard; Shana's paw moved to where her burn mark was supposed to be. "But we used it to our advantage and finally defeated Dart. At that moment, I didn't care if I'd fixed my mistake or not. All I cared about was Shana."

"I thought she was going to die, and it tore me up. But she told me a way to save her even if it meant causing her pain. She told me it was the only was the only way for her to live. I agreed to it eventually and started pulling out the pole from her body."

"...The sound of her screaming still haunts me. It was so painful for me that I started screaming too. And when I finally pulled it out, I had to burn her wound to stop the bleeding, and it just caused her even more pain. at my paws."

"I had done it. I hurt her one last time to save her life. We were rescued, the rebels' gave up, and Shana and I, someone who made so many mistakes, became heroes."

Flare paused for about five seconds to allow the crowd to take in his speech. "I guess all of you can say that I've got a very messed up past, a past that still haunts me. But look, my past was horrible, but I became someone great in the end right?"

"I doubt all of us have messed up in the past; I doubt everyone here had a wonderful past. But take it from me, I had a dark past, but I have a wonderful present filled with those who love me. And because of them, I can now look into the future and smile without fear."

"Fellow students, we're all graduating here. We're all not little kids anymore; we're gonna be full grown adults soon. So I want you guys to do just three things: let go of your past, cherish you present and wait happily for the future. Think of tomorrow as one more step to your dreams. I know it won't be easy; nothing ever is easy. But Shana and I did the least easy thing in the world. If we can do it, I'm sure all of you can."

"So c'mon guys; I know we can all do it . Let's go forward, forward into the future."

A loud applause followed Flare's speech. Flare couldn't help but smile as he saw so many cheer for him. He thanked the crowd and went back to his seat. Shade patted his back again, Shine smiled at him, Zara and Slick gave him a thumbs up and Shana hugged him tightly. The ceremony continued eventually leading to the giving of the diploma.

Slick was called up first. After getting his diploma and shaking hands with Principal Marshall, he turned to the crowd and raised his arms over his head in triumph. Linda was clapping with tears in his eyes, and Brownie was hopping up and down happily.

Soon after that, Zara was called up. After getting her diploma, she winked and blew a kiss into the crowd, but it was in Slick's direction (Slice and Chi couldn't tell). Shana was called up soon after that; she herself was almost in tears as the crowd cheered for her.

And finally, as if they were purposely saving him for the end, Flare was called, and the whole auditorium gave him a standing ovation. Surprised a bit at this, he just went up the stage and received his diploma. He turned to the crowd, and they went nuts for him; he could hear his name being chanted. Feeling elated, he headed back to his seat.

Shortly after that, the ceremony ended, but the night didn't yet. Students and parents were invited to the Graduation Ball to be held in the gym. Everyone went there; the food was excellent.

And then music played, and a wide open area showed up. Almost instantly, Slick snatched Zara away from her parents and began dancing with her. Slice and Chi were taken by surprise, but allowed it with only one rule which Chi told Slick.

"If that hand if yours goes anywhere below her waist, you're loosing it."

Slick gave a hearty laugh. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." he said as he danced with the love of his life. Chi sighed and saw Slice take her hand and kiss it.

"Wanna dance?" he asked slyly. Chi smiled, and he pulled her away to dance with the love of her life.

Soon, more and more couples began to dance. Shine leaned on her husband's shoulder and said: "Oh Shade, this music's just wonderful."

He turned to her and smiled. "It has been a while since we last danced. Do you still have the moves Shine?"

"Let's find out together." she said kissing him. She took his paw and led him to the dance floor.

With a sigh, Shana watched as her parents and friends began to dance. And then she noticed Flare standing in front of her, a smile on his face and a paw extended towards her.

"Shana...would you please dance with me?" he asked her.

She thought he would never ask. "I'd love to Flare." she replied, and they went to the dance floor.

And finally, Flare and Shana got the dance that they were supposed to have months previously. And it was magical; it was like the floor had vanished, and they were hovering in mid air. Time seemed to slow down as they gazed into each others eyes and thought of nothing but the other, of spending this moment with them.

* * *

Several minutes later, Shana and Flare felt like they needed some time just for each other. It was easy to sneak out since many other couples did the same to do who-knows-what. Shana and Flare sneaked out onto the school grounds. Avoiding a Luxray teacher who was searching for students who sneaked away from the ball to do stuff without anyone looking, they found a tree and climbed onto it branch and sat down.

"It's a wonderful evening isn't it?" Shana asked.

"Of course. It's 'cause we together right?" Flare replied with a smile.

Shana smiled but then looked at him worriedly. "Hey Flare, did it...did it hurt talking about your past like that?" she asked reluctantly.

Flare paused for a bit, looked forward and sighed. "Yeah it kinda does." He sighed and looked at the stars. "Look at me...I told everyone to let go of their past, but I can barely forget my own. Tch."

Shana put a paw on his shoulder. "Hey, it's alright Flare. You've got me right? And my mom and dad and Zara and Slick. We're all here for you."

"Yeah, I know that." Flare cheered up. "You're the ones who gave me hope for the future."

"Yeah, speaking of the future, what're you plans for it Flare?" Shana asked.

"What d'you mean? I'm spending it with you of course." He gave her a playful hug. "I'm gonna be the head of your guard. I'll keep you safe no matter what."

"Well, that's really sweet of you Flare. That's almost as good as Zara's dream." Shana said.

"Really? What's Zara's plan for the future?"

"Well," Shana smiled a bit. "Let's just say she kinda liked being called 'Aunty'."

Flare blinked and seemed to understand. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. She's going to rebuild the orphanage and run it. Of course, Slick's gonna be helping her out." Shana said.

"Well that's nice of them." Flare commented. He then paused for a while and turned to Shana. "How about you? What's in your future Shana?"

Shana smiled and looked forward. "Well, my dad and I talked, and he told me I'm ready. He's gonna take me in as my mentor and teach me everything I need to know about running the nation."

"Wow. That's great Shana." Flare said.

"Yeah, I know." Shana said, but after a few seconds, her smile turned into a look of shock with her mouth slightly agape.

"What's wrong Shana?" Flare asked.

"Oh my gosh!" Shana said loudly as she clutched her head. "I'm gonna be the ruler of the Nation of the Twin Fangs! I-I mean, I knew this day was coming, but now that it's here...oh my gosh! Will I be OK? I know I'm smart and all that, but this's running an entire nation for crying out loud! Oh my gosh...oh my gosh! Am I gonna be alright? Am I gonna-"

Flare was a little surprised about what she was saying and decided to end it. "Shana," He placed his paw on her shoulder which stopped her from speaking. "I'll tell you what you're gonna be like. You're gonna be a leader who's dedicated to doing what's right, caring enough to take care of hundreds of Pokemon, and wise enough to make the right decisions. Your dad's a great leader, and if he teaches you, then what's there to fear?"

"Well...I'm not so sure yet Flare. I'm just so worried..." Shana said sadly.

Seeing her worried, Flare leaned forward and kissed her. "You shouldn't worry. It'll all be alright Shana; you've got me right? And your parents and Zara and Slick. We're all here for you."

Shana smiled a bit. "Hey, that was my line."

Flare smiled back and held her paw tightly. "And leader or not, you'll always be the Shana that I love."

Shana gazed into his eyes as she put a paw on his back. "I swear I'll never change; no matter what, I'll never stop loving you Flare."

Slowly, they pulled each other in for a kiss, a kiss only seen by the stars in the sky, a kiss seen by those who died who wait for Shana to heal their ailing nation, a kiss symbolizing love that transcends boundaries and changes lives.

The boy was troubled by his dark past, filling him with regret at the things he did. The girl worries about the future and what is expected from her. Yet, despite all of their worries and troubles, Flare and Shana found peace and happiness with each other right here in the present.

THE END


End file.
